Customer Reviews

Potent Charms (Leisure historical romance)

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

 

 

What a wonderful read, Waide has equaled if not surpassed her first book. Stephen and Pheobe are a very alluring, dynamic couple and the author has introduced us to a superb secondary cast of characters. Her villians evoke strong emotions and you certainly feel very satisfied when "they get theirs". Sensual but tasteful our couple are very driven and their attraction evident throughout this intriguing story. Definitely a one sitting read that I highly recommend.

American Phoebe Rafferty came to England to find a
husband. She needs to marry in six weeks or she won't
inherit Marsden Manor, an ancestral home she's only
seen in a painting. Within a week, and only after
one meeting, she's found her man: Stephen Lambert,
Duke of Badrick. He's exciting, attractive and his
kisses make her feel things she's never felt before.

The moment Stephen see Phoebe, he wants her as his
mistress. Generations ago, the Badrick family line
was cursed by a Gypsy woman and they are doomed to
unhappy, short-lived marriages. Stephen has lost
two wives already and he's determined to never marry
again. He will give Phoebe pleasure, jewels, a home;
anything she desires, except love and marriage.

POTENT CHARMS is made unique by having the Gypsy
curse be a point of conflict. It's a first for me,
and I loved it. Smaller conflicts get resolved,
until all that is remaining between Phoebe and Stephen
is this curse. The characters are very believable.
It doesn't matter if you or I believe in curses,
Stephen does, and Ms. Waide has portrayed this
exceedingly well.

I read POTENT CHARMS in one sitting. It has a nice,
even pace to it. The sparks that fly between Phoebe
and Stephen are sexy, as are Stephen's displays of
jealousy. I found myself looking forward to both.
There are some historical tidbits throughout the book,
but I never felt as if I were being taught a history
lesson. Ms. Waide has written a wonderful romance
reminding us that words do have power, inviting us to
believe that maybe, "I love you" are the most powerful
words of all.

This was great fun! I finished this book in two days. Poor Stephen, a man with only one thing on his mind. But the heroine was too great challenge for him. I really enjoyed the other characters too. Can't wait for the next one.

For a cliche plot line thats been written over and over and over again by countless authors, i think Waide has finally done the impossible and perfected it. If your interested in the plot of wealthy duke who refuses to marry and american bluestocking who absolutely MUST get married before their birthday to get her inheritance, then this is the book you must read. Although the gypsy curse excuse is really rather lame, in the book there's everything one would expect going on between Stephen and Phoebe. Lots of sparks, witty dialogue, a LOT of jealousy and possessiveness, and funny minor characters like Elizabeth and Winston, Rhys,Tewksbury and Bliss.Absolute must.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book about two people who want nothing more than to be together, except they both have different ideas about how to go about it. Stephen and Phoebe were so fun to read about with Stephen constantly trying to seduce Phoebe into becoming his mistress and Phoebe trying to seduce/love him into forgetting about the curse a gypsy made against his family. Phoebe must marry to gain her inheritence and Stephen wants no part of it save Phoebe in his bed.

With a delightful cast of secondary characters, Potent Charms is fun, romantic, with a little bit of suspense thrown in for good measure. When Stephen came to his senses, I found myself sitting up in anticipation of his finding Phoebe.

I truly enjoyed this book. Don't miss it!

After reading Duchess for a Day, I was looking forward to this book. What a disappointment.The hero is so hung up on himself and his wants and his desires, he gives no thought whatsoever to anyone else. He is a very unlikable character. I forced myself to finish it, and I doubt I'll ever pick it up again. There were some high points, but not enough to make overcome the down side. The secondary character Rhys was intersesting though.Would love to see a book about him.

This was an ok book, but not a real page-turner. Phoebe was a lovable character, but after the first few chapters I came to heartily dislike Stephen. His only goal was to convince Phoebe to become his mistress without regard to how the label would affect her life, her position in society, or the life of their children (which Phoebe longed for). Granted his main reason for not wanting to marry Phoebe was a fear that an old family curse might cause her death, but I still found his solution (making her his mistress) a tad selfish. Overall the book was ok, just not one I plan on keeping.

Rheada Samuels has started a new life in Aztec, New Mexico. Her tour guide business is starting to thrive due to her knowledge of the land she loves and her gifted storytelling. Rheada is trying to put the past behind her, a past where she was Raven--a legendary and mysterious thief who found and sold Anasazi artifacts.

In walks a man who lives in shadows, a man who is tormented by his own past, Kee Blackburn. Kee is searching for the legendary Raven. His sister died chasing rumors of the mysterious thief, and he will have his revenge--no matter what the cost.

Rheada is a strong, independent and courageous woman--my favorite type of heroine. Kee was a bit too tortured for me at first. I kept thinking about how he could benefit from anger management courses, but then I tried to put myself into his shoes: How would I feel if my sister was seduced by the legend of Raven, took off to find her and then lost her life? I thought that I'd be pretty angry too. It helped that around the time I was having these thoughts, Kee started to soften towards Rheada, letting some of that constant anger slip away every now and then.

I think that Ms. Baker shaped Rheada Samuels after herself, a woman who is a gifted storyteller, who loves and respects Anasazi legends and the Southwestern lands. RAVEN is a book about legends, revenge, courage, love and redemption. Ms. Baker has weaved a wonderful story mixing ancient Anasazi legends with a contemporary romantic suspense, adding some paranormal elements just made the book, in my estimation, complete.