Customer Reviews

Prize, The (MIRA Tradesize S.)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

Omigosh, what a boring disappointment. I've read other Brenda Joyce novels and bought "The Prize" based on past good experiences. But this book just plods along with repetitious dialog, unsympathetic characters and truly dull plotting.

What we have is another tale of the girl hating the guy but wanting to have sex with him. The guy hates the girl too but wants to have sex with her as well. In my neighborhood we call that dysfunction, not romance.

I'm halfway through the book and not much has happened other than they hate each other, they have sex, then they hate each other some more, they have sex again and then they think about it for four chapters before they start all over again.

I don't think I can stick with this drivel. I think I'll re-read "A Lady at Last" (also by Brenda Joyce)a true romance novel with characters you can actually like.

I also agree with the earlier reviews in that this clearly was not up to the same standard as Joyce's other works, particularly the Cahill series. I have found those books to be some of the best I've ever read, and are the only books I track in order to rush out and buy the latest installment. I decided to try the Prize because of this, and was severly disappointed to the point where I have a hard time believing Brenda Joyce actually wrote this book.

This book was poorly written, in every way. I totally agree with the previous reviewer who stated "it was more like something one would expect from a Jr. highschooler" which makes me wonder if this is a work that Joyce created in her earlier days that was initially rejected and now they are pulling it out because she has attained a level of celebrity with her other excellent work. The Prize smacks of earlier romance novels from the 70's and 80's where the lead character (man or woman) was so abusive to the love interest as to try the patience of any reader. I found Virginia's willingness to be treated so abusively over and over ridiculous and unbelievable.

After reading romance novels for over 25 years, and seeing how far the genre has come (especially how much better the men are treating the women), I was especially disappointed that Joyce would resort to, as another reviewer writes: "...the bewildering cliche-ridden sex fests of her early works and a total abandonment of the emotionally compelling work". I couldn't agree more.

Is it just me or does anyone else notice how Brenda Joyce repeats phrases over and over??? Im talking about "knew no bounds" and "she cried out" among others these must have been repeated like 50 times! Every time I read them I got more annoyed! Can't she think of another way to explain how angry someone is besides their anger (or frustration or sadness) "knew no bounds"? And what exactly are the characters "crying out" all the time. TELL US! I'm sorry but I think if she tried alittle harder the books could have been so much better. Unbelievably I read The Masqerade after this book and she is STILL using these phrases over and over! Get a thesaurus or something BRENDA!

Ms. Joyce is back penning her extraordinary historical romances and I am THRILLED!! I can't understand why anyone would find fault with this story. Ms. Joyce has taken exceptional care in research and her diligence has paid off by offering her readers a story rich with historic details that will pull you into a time and place that no longer exists. The reader will travel to Ireland, England, and back to Virginia in this epic love story.

Characters are such an important part of any story and Devlin and Virginia are amazing. Devlin is a product of his past (he witnesses the cruel murder of his father when he is only 10) and as a result has lived his life from that moment on with one goal in mind revenge at all costs. Problem with this is that it has cost him more than even he could imagine. He is set on his course and when an opportunity presents its self he grabs it and runs. His life is never going to be the same and its all going to change due to a large set of Violet eyes. Virginia may be his enemy's niece but she is about to become his soul.

Virginia is on her way to England with hopes to talk her uncle into saving her family's plantation "Sweet Briar" since it is currently up for sale. She is only days away from realizing her dream when her ship is boarded and she is taken hostage by Captain Devlin O'Neill. She fights him from the first moment she sets eyes on him but this blonde and strong man calls to her and it's only a matter of time before she looses her heart to the one man that doesn't want it. Can she show Devlin that there's more to life than justice and revenge?

This is an amazing story and Ms. Joyce is true to her characters. Some readers might loose patience with Virginia's willingness to continue to feel any kind of soft emotion for Devlin. Devlin is so consumed with his revenge that it's amazing that Virginia is able to get through to his heart. The chemistry between these two very strong people is immediate and hot. Virginia's willingness to see the good in Devlin is what makes her such an amazing character. Secondary characters (Devlin's family) are just as important as the main characters and I'm highly looking forward to the next in this series, which is Ty's story. This is a complex love story that I highly recommend. Be forewarned this is a book that totals 575 pages but it is well worth taking the time to read. Fans of true historical romances will not be disappointed with Ms. Joyce's latest effort.

Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com

This is, seriously, the dumbest historical romance novel I've ever read.

We've got the dumb hero, bent on his revenge. I've only seen similar single-minded persistence in toddlers playing peek-a-boo. Add to this the fact that Joyce gives us absolutely nothing to like in the man/boy. In most (or in well-done) historical novels, we can see what the heroine sees to love in the hero, and we fall in love with him a little, too. None of that, here.

There's the dumb heroine, who falls in 'love' with the hero based on nothing but that he looks really, really good. There is literally nothing else to their relationship other than the physical attraction (and the fact that Love-with-a-Capital-Ell is necessary as a plot device). The heroine starts out promisingly enough, in a Scarlett O'Hara rip-off kind of way, but swiftly becomes a weepy, wilting, pathetic thing, constantly clinging to the hero and (I kid you not) begging him to love her.

This happens throughout the book. Unlike in good historical romances, there is no "turn" in the relationship until maybe the last 50 of the 500-or-so pages. The hero remains determined to be stupid. His mind changes in a miraculous turn of events -- and there are few things more annoying than a completely out-of-the-blue 'miraculous turn of events'. This one is especially baseless and annoying: "Surprahzz! I've decided to give up ALL my evil ways and be the doting husband now!"

Speaking of the Scarlett O'Hara rip-offyness of it: Joyce REALLY should have re-thought Virginia's repeated thoughts of moral superiority over the soldier Devlin ("Oh Em Gee! He KILLS people!"), as she freaking OWNS people without a thought, except when some slaves escape and she thinks what a terrible thing that is, because, you know, the slaves were so very very happy at Sweetbriar. Joyce's see-no-evil, hear-no-evil stance on slavery is very odd here given her careful historical research in all the other areas of the novel -- the one thing the book has going for it. If you'd like to read impeccable research *in conjunction with* beautifully-done characters and brilliant plotting (and super-hot sex!), look at Mary Jo Putney's novels.

I have to agree with so many of the other reviewers. I absolutely started to loath this book and the author for creating such a story. I couldn't believe what a sniveling weakling the "heroine" was. Give me a break...who wants to be treated like a trollop and spit upon at every turn. How could the main character Virginia come off as being so strong upon introduction and become so weak? I was sooooo disappointed in this book. I found myself on more than one occasion just flipping through some of the pages in an attempt to just get it over with. I honestly detested this story.

This was my first Brenda Joyce novel, and as a result I am a little reluctant to read any more of her books. As I see it, there were three main problems with The Prize:
1. Virginia, the heroine, boards a ship from Norfolk, Virginia, to England to beg her uncle for money to save her plantation from being sold off. Adding to the high stakes of this sale are her best friend, Tillie, and her husband and children who are slaves on the estate. With the plantation sold, they would all be separated and subject to any kind of cruelty. On her way to England, Virginia's ship is commandeered by Devlin, who kidnaps her and holds her for ransom to avenge his father's murder. Virginia's people's lives depend on her, and she quickly loses focus. The plantation and it people are forgotten as Virginia falls in love with Devlin, and makes no move to save what she so desperately wanted in the beginning of the book. How can I respect a character who loses sight of the people that need her help?
2. The "hero" was a jerk. Other than his good looks and wealth, he has no redeeming qualities and he treats Virginia abominably. I just couldn't respect Virginia for loving a cold, robotic man who kidnapped her and dismissed what she loved most- her plantation.
3. The hero's brother, Sean, was just as handsome, but a nice guy who shares Virginia's love of the land. After being left in his care for five months, and after he admits he loves her, why wouldn't Virginia fall in love with a man like him?
Again, I can't respect a heroine who willingly walks right into an abusive relationship (with Devlin), forgets the lives that are at stake back on her plantation, and refuses the love of a good man.
Although I enjoyed Brenda Joyce's style of writing, if her other novels have characters as unlikable and amoral, this will be the last one I read.

How very disappointed I am in Brenda's THE PRIZE. It was certainly no prize to read these 500 odd pages of complete drivel. I am no new comer to the historical romance genre but I am to Ms Joyce's work, I did however read the whole book before I thought it wise to warn other's against it.


The story of a handsome Captain of the English navy kidnapping then falling in love with the niece of his worst enemy set against the back drop of warring nations is enough to make anyone pick up this book and be excited to get home and snuggle up to read it.....and the first few chapters are great........but that is where it ends......if you are not wanting to drop kick Virginia Hughes your about ready to kill Devlin by the end...if not then all the luck to you.

If you like your men indifferent, childish, nasty and cruel or if you like your women, swoony, gluttons for punishment and wimpy then this is the book for you.

If you like reading page after page after page of characters sorting through feelings they did not know they had or fighting against said feelings, then this is the book for you.

The loves scenes are nothing more the written porn scripts and the story is frustrating and a definite page skipper. (as in oooh get on with it already)


Do yourself a favor and read anything by Dianne Gabaldon.

This book was very tedious and several times I thought it should have ended! It almost seemed like Ms. Joyce had all these ideas from the time period and wanted to jampack them into one book! Also, the main character seemed spunky and a total tomboy (can shoot, survey fields, etc.), but once she's on the boat and in England, she's almost totally helpless once she puts on a dress. Also, after she runs away from the boarding school, it's never mentioned again? Seriously. Plus the boat rides across the Atlantic I'm sure took longer than how it was written. Half the time I was reading this book, I wanted to put it away because I was so bored and wanting it to progress! The beginning made it out to be somewhat interesting, but it never lived up to it. Ms. Joyce's other books are so much better. I wouldn't read this book again.

I'm not going to say it was a bad book, but it could have been better. For one thing, the dialog was shallow. The prose was simplistic. It felt like it was written for 12 year olds, except that we don't let 12 year olds read such graphic descriptions of sex.

The setting and the plot were exciting, and the story was interesting, but the characters really were pathetic. The idea that someone who has been a sociopath his entire adult life can be redeemed by the love of a good woman is just sad. And this wasn't a good woman. She was whiny and self-centered and she fainted a lot. Her heroic effort to get back to her home in Virginia consisted of borrowing money from her in-laws. And why? Was it to see to the care of the dozens of people who worked her plantation and depended on her for their lives and livelihood? No, she never gave them any thought at all. She was only concerned about her needs, which consisted of escaping the embarrassment of a ruined reputation, and payback for her husband's cold-heartedness.

And there was no good reason for her to fall in love with that pirate. The attraction appeared to be purely physical, since he had no redeaming qualities of any kind and neither did she. I'm all for seductive alpha-male types, but there has to be a little bit of tenderness and conscience involved. And I mean before the marriage. Not at the end of the book when he realizes what a fool he has been (Oh, yeah, how long is that going to last?) Otherwise you just have another idiot female marrying a psychopath, which I am afraid is what this book looked like to me.