Customer Reviews

The Panther & the Pyramid (Leisure Historical Romance)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Graham Tristan's dreams have been haunted by the image of a red headed beauty he has never seen until the night he chooses to lose his virginity. The woman who is doing the same with him's wig slips, revealing her to be the dream lady. Then, later, at a more formal affair, he sees her again. She is Jillian, the daughter of the man who abused him long ago in the most unspeakable of ways. She needs to escape before her father can sell her, and Graham offers her a rescue, become his wife. Jillian finds she has no choice but to wed this enigmatic man who is unwilling to share himself beyond the barest of details. However, when an emergency forces Graham to go on a treasure hunt, Jillian proves to be the key to not only his success, but to his heart.

*** Lush, exotic backgrounds provide for a hypnotic setting. Despite the brilliant sunlight, the tone is rather dark much of the time. This is no gentle romance, but one where revenge and passion take center stage. ***

Amanda Killgore

I've loved all of Bonnie Vanak's books for the exotic setting, but also for the very sensual, very emotional read she delivers. THE PANTHER & THE PYRAMID might be my favorite yet!

Once I started reading this book I gobbled it up in no time. This is truly a wonderful story of two lost and lonely people finding and healing each others wounded souls. Graham Tristan has a secret he can't tell anyone. Abused as a child, he doesn't believe he is deserving of love. Jillian, the heroine, has been kept under strict control all her life. It isn't until she meets Graham and he encourages her to be her true self that she really begins to live. Much of this book takes place in Eygpt and the author does a wonderful job of portraying the exotic local. This is simply a wonderful book!

While this starts out as more or less your typical historical romance, it soon disabuses you. It addresses the darker side of Egyptian life and the tortured and tormented souls of two people. So if you're looking for sweet don't read this book. This is the story of an English Duke who as an 8 yr old child was traveling with his parents. They were killed in front of his eyes, he was taken captive and for three years was repeatedly raped by one of the warriors of the tribe and later tricked and raped by an Englishman. The man whom, the Duke now an adult, later learns is the woman he loves, father. He decides to marry the girl because he wants her but to also use her to get back at her father. What later becomes apparent is that, while the Duke may have been phyically assulted, his Duchess has been no less pyschologically abused by said father.

The problem I had with the story was it's flow. The section when the couple meet and get married is good, but then they go on a quest to Egypt to find much needed buried treasure and for the Duke a chance to maybe save his tortured soul. I think the story really begins to break down at this point for several reasons. Not the least of which is why take a gently raised Englishwoman out into the desert knowing the very real dangers that exist there. Which by the way they run into and then some. The story doesn't come off as a test of courage, but one of stupidity. And frankly, even after everything the Duke and Duchess had gone through they still appear to me as tortured souls, only now they have company in each other in their misery.

i actually read this one first and loved it so much i ordered up the rest in the series. This is a wonderful story with an original twist. I like the fact that Vanak doesn't try to sugar coat things for her heroes and heroines. They seem like real people rather than cardboard cut outs that you see in other romance novels. All of these books in the Egypt series are wonderful.

I thought the concept of the story was wondeful. The author really showed how tormented Graham was and how what was done to him has shaped him and hurt him. He moved me. Jillian was another story. I did not like her. She was so boring and annoying. She was suppose to be smart and have passion and yet she was a different person around EVERYONE else. Not just her father. For the most part the story was good and i loved The Earl and his family :)

Entertaining. If you have read any of the other books, it ties in nicely but that also makes the story was predictable. It's worth the time if you have enjoyed the authors other books within this story line.

While the Bedouin invaders held him captive, they also made young Graham Tristan watch as they brutally murder his parents. He vows one day to avenge what these cruel killers did to his family. Over the years he worked at achieving his goal until now he is known as the fiercest warrior of the desert, The Panther even though he rides with powerful courageous fighters as part of the Warriors of the Wind.

However, the time to return to England has arrived so he goes home to become the Duke of Caldwell. The drams he began having in the desert of meeting a red haired green eyed termagant continue until he meets his vision in the flesh in a brothel. Lady Jillian plans to lose her virginity so her father cannot sell her to the highest bidder, an odious person. However, as the two virgins make love, passion ignites them to an even higher plane. Already in love with his vixen, Graham demands they marry, which she agrees to as she returns his feelings. As a married couple they head back to Egypt where treasure or his nightmare youth await them.

The fourth late nineteenth century Egyptian romance is an exciting action-packed thriller starring a fine coupling as he is more Egyptian than English aristocrat while she is a daughter of the Ton making for a delightful pairing starting with their first sizzling encounter in the brothel and never slowing down. Though Jillian is too typical of the sub-genre, fans of historical adventure romantic epics will want to read this quality tale and its exciting predecessors (see THE FALCON AND THE DOVE, THE TIGER AND THE TOMB, and THE COBRA AND THE CONCUBINE).

Harriet Klausner

I loved this cover. That guy was gorgeous. But, I really didn't like this book. It was just too dark and depressing. It would have been great if those dark edges were taken out. I liked the chemistry between Graham and Jillian but I don't know about a HEA with all the stuff they had going on. I have read all Bonnie Vanak's books and they start out great, but then something comes up that dooms them from being keepers. I think she can write a really good book but she hasn't yet.

I thought this would be great, because, first of all, it's a historical romance, second of all, I love the 1890s, and third of all, Egypt seemed to be something big in this book.

But, sadly, I was disappointed.
I rather thought that Graham's character was pathetic. Jillian was okay, but I thought there was something off in her character.
It doesn't seem like Bonnie Vanak tried making them sound like they lived in 1896. They spoke as if they lived in the 21st Century. I was very disappointed.

And that brief mention of a phone? In 1896, that was REALLY REALLY rare. And I mean rare. It would be very unlikely for just anyone to have a phone. And how he called the doctor? I don't think even the doctor would have a phone. As I said, it would be extremely rare for just anyone to have a phone in 1896.

This book also did not give me the sense that I was in the 19th Century, like many historical romances do. I was disappointed in that as well.

If you want to read this book, just don't buy it. It's more worth it to borrow it from your library.