Customer Reviews

Return to Me

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

 

 

Lovers of historical and paranormal romances will not want to miss reading Julia Templeton's latest, RETURN TO ME. Set in Scotland, it is the story of Darius, a vampire, and Gabrielle, a woman with special powers.

Gabrielle Fairmont's hands are tied. Forced into an unwanted betrothal by her uncle, Gabrielle searches for the right moment in which to make her escape; and escape she must if rumors of her fiancé's violent tendencies are to be believed. Plus, with the help of her gifts of second sight and mind reading, she has seen first hand how little he truly cares for her. The perfect opportunity arises during a crowded ball when her devious and sinister husband-to-be is occupied elsewhere. Gabrielle has only one regret - she will not be able to further explore the feelings she experienced upon meeting the magnetic Darius MacLeod earlier in the evening.

Darius, a five hundred year old Scottish vampire, answers his twin brother's call and agrees to attend a London ball. Having loved and lost his wife Rose so many years ago, Darius has never tried to love someone else. As his eyes meet those of Gabrielle Fairmont's across the ballroom, Darius knows without a doubt he has just seen his destiny. Too late, however, Darius realizes that Gabrielle has disappeared.

Using a commotion as cover, Gabrielle seizes the chance to disappear leaving no trace of her whereabouts. Her newfound freedom is absolute, that is until the night a waiflike highwayman tries to holdup a carriage containing three vampires. Deciding then and there to trust Darius with her heart and her life, Gabrielle never looks back.

First let me say that I sat at my computer for the longest time, wondering how I could do justice to this book. RETURN TO ME didn't merely catch my attention - it held me spellbound. It didn't just engage my emotions - it twisted my heart and engaged my mind.

Set in England and Scotland, RETURN TO ME radiates emotion with the longing of Darius and the anguish of Gabrielle. Their meeting, while decreed by Darius' twin, feels like destiny in the making. Gabrielle's similarity to Rose, Darius' deceased wife from long ago, may have caught his attention, but it is her trust and love for him that holds it and turns a simple attraction into an all consuming second chance at love.

RETURN TO ME captivated me from the prologue to the last scene. Julia Templeton has written a truly breathtaking, edgy, and sensual historical novel.

If you're looking from some simple erotica that lacks any sort of complicating depth then this might be the perfect escape for you. If you're looking for a romance with a solid plot, or interesting characters I'd look elsewhere.

Gabrielle Fairmont steps out of a Mary Sue fanfic into this story as a super special, kind, gorgeous damsel in distress that also has super special magic powers and may be the reincarnation of a vampire's tragically deceased wife. Early in the book the author tries to fool us into thinking Gabrielle is a strong, independant figure who shapes her own destiny by plotting an escape from her murderous fiance and learning to survive on her own. This is apparently a fluke on Gabrielle's part, as she spends the rest of the book once vampire hunk Darius rescues her tottering between useless and TSTL (that's 'too stupid to live'). Gabrielle demonstrates the latter element to us perfectly with such brilliant ideas as 'Well I've been having visions of my murderous psycho fiance following me here, and it's daylight so my crew of vampire protectors are all deeply asleep because they burn in the sunlight, but I think now is a wonderful time to go outside the protection of the manor and sit alone in the sunlight on a hill to ponder'. We're supposed to believe this girl survived on her own for any length of time?

The problems with characterization certainly don't end there. Darius, a warrior turned vampire that lost his wife as she was fleeing him, is a flat character. The only thing that stands out about him is that he is 'anatomically impressive' and we are reminded of this repeatedly. Throughout the book the vampires carry a burden of being 'monstrous' except that there isn't really anything remotely monstrous or threatening about them. They feed off their lovers, who retain no memory of being bitten and behave with unfailing civility. Other characters that pass through the story are stereotypical, with good characters portrayed as attractive and 'bad' characters portrayed as being fat, drunk, and anatomically unimpressive. This book carries a naive sense of unerring black and white, so that the characters more resemble caricatures than actual humans.

The relationship between Gabrielle and Darius is virtually nonexistant. They meet, he later saves her, and they start having sex. From then on the book is a constant stream of sex occasionally interrupted by the secondary romance between Darius's vampiric brother and sire. Oh, and there's the whole 'dangerous ex-fiance' matter too, which is both unsuspenseful and largely uninvolved. Gabrielle does have flashes of memories from her past life, but not enough to justify the quick and easy relationship with Darius. The plot here actually had a lot of potential for interesting conflict, but none of it was tapped. There is no conflict or real obstacles for their relationship.

By contrast, the relationship between Remont and Demetri is by far more interesting, but largely overlooked in favor of more Gabrielle/Darius sex scenes. Even this slightly more interesting plot line fails, because we are never given a good reason why Demetri cheats, and the resolution between them is anti-climatic at best.

There are dozens of other complaints I could make, but I've rambled on long enough. To conclude, I found this book to be boring, and uninspired. Don't let the descriptions on the book fool you- this has nothing to do with romance and everything to do with repetative sex.

Often times when I have been absorbed by a story I find it difficult to know where to start. I sit staring at a blank page until I feel confident enough to put down how much the story thrilled and moved me. This was one of those times.

On the battlefield of Bannockburn in 1314, Darius MacLeod lay dying, thinking never to see his beloved Rose or unborn babe when a young man with kind green eyes, approached him. His name was Remont and asked if Darius wanted to live an immortal life, never to age, never to die. Before Darius could answer and about to take his final breath; his brother Demetri made the decision pleading with Remont to change Darius. Several days later when Darius returned home to his pregnant wife Rose, he was a changed man. Several people told Rose they saw Darius receive a mortal blow and wary of his recent behavior she questioned him. Horrified by his confession, Rose ran, falling down stairs killing herself and their unborn child.

Five hundred years later and invited to attend a ball to meet Demetri and Remont, Darius was shocked to meet Lady Gabrielle Wentworth whose resemblance to Rose was astonishing. Feeling as if his heart had sprung to life, he knew he must save Gabrielle from Sutherland. Instinctively knowing in his heart that Gabrielle was the reincarnation of his beloved Rose, he also worried if she would run from him in horror if she discovered what he was.

Gabrielle had been betrayed by her only living relative. Her uncle needing money to pay off his creditors sold her "sight unseen" to the despicable Lord Sutherland, rumored to have murdered four of his previous wives. Gabrielle is a healer with the gift of sight, and knows after marriage, Sutherland will kill her. Meeting Darius, Gabrielle senses a familiarity that she's known Darius, but with her `sight' she also `knows' what he is. During a commotion at the ball, she makes good her escape into the night, but who immediately senses the loss of Darius in whose arms she had felt safe.

*** I was completely absorbed and emotionally drawn in to this exquisitely written and passionate love story. The author held me emotionally captive from beginning to end. Initially showing Darius to be a young man in the prime of life when fate intervened grabbed my heart. He had found his true love with Rose and was awaiting the birth of a child conceived of that love. Though not his decision to be changed, he could never have imagined the tragedy to follow. The authors portrayal of after five hundred years and Darius finally finding the woman he'd never forgotten was portrayed in such a way it brought tears to my eyes.

Characterized as a young woman with special powers, Gabrielle was special from her initial introduction into the story. As serious as the drama of this story was I actually had a chuckle or two when Gabrielle, who kept her powers hidden for the most part, threw a couple of uncomfortable spells towards Sutherland when he was at his most repulsive behavior. My admiration for this autho'rs originality in Gabrielle's ingenuity and resourcefulness after her escape from the ball, in finding shelter and a way to fund her escape out of London was inspired. In another scene, Gabrielle's gift to Darius was so filled with emotion it brought tears to my eyes and is one instance that was truly unforgettable.

Not only was I captivated by the adventure and romance of Gabrielle and Darius, but Remont and Demetri's story also held me spellbound. As the vampire who had turned both Demetri and Darius, Remont came across as truly compassionate and caring and I was rooting for him to find the happiness he deserved after centuries of existence.

In short RETURN TO ME is a remarkable, sensually passionate, well-written and incredible paranormal historical novel that must be read by both paranormal and historical fans alike.

Marilyn Rondeau, RIO - Reviewers International Organization for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

In 1314 Darius Macleod lies dying on the battlefield of Bannockburn when his twin brother Demetri's friend Remont informs him he will only survive his fatal wounds if he converts to the life of the undead. Demetri asks Remont to change Darius. Soon afterward he comes home from the war healthy and alive. However his wife Rose worries about her spouse who is not the same person who performed his duty with honor. She finally confronts him; he admits that he became a vampire to save his life. Horrified and terrorized, Rose flees only to fall down steps killing herself and their unborn child.

In 1818 Darius is still missing his Rose until his brother introduces him to Gabrielle Wentworth, whose uncle has "sold" her into a betrothal with the detestable Lord Sutherland. Perhaps it is her resemblance to his memory of Rose, but for the first time in five hundred years Darius feels alive as he wants her. However, in spite of his efforts including his supernatural skills, Darius struggles to persuade Gabrielle that they belong together preferably for eternity as she has family demons eating at her soul.

This entertaining heated Regency paranormal romance stars two delightful protagonists who belong together. Although Gabrielle's uncle and Sutherland are caricatures of evil humans, they serve as a counterpoint to the siblings leading to readers pondering just who the monsters are. Fans will appreciate this exciting tale as Darius will do anything including accept his final death if that means his beloved Gabriella lives a safe and contented life.

Harriet Klausner

This is my first Julia Timpleton's novel. I couldn't put it down. So good that I have read it twice. I enjoyed the plot and the characters very much. Bonus: a lot of hot, sexy and sensual love scenes. Highly recommended.

definitely not worth the price

mrs templeton has written so many 5 star books (the bargain, dangerous desires, sinjin, and kieran the black just to name a few) that when i read this one i wished for a way to get my money back but buying in e format i cant sell it back for even a fraction of what i paid this is the 1st time i have ever been unhappy with e format and with the writer less than 300 hundred pages and over $11 never again will i take that chance no matter how much i enjoyed the writers other works

too many other very good books out there to pay what the publisher asks for this very short story and a 3 year old one at that ... i will wait from now on for the price to come down before i take a chance on another short story by any writer

This is my first Templeton book so didn't know what to expect, but love finding new vampires. Book is worth a read if purchase on discount. I enjoyed the Darius character but would have liked more about when he returned home to Rose. The Demetri and Remont relationship was unexpected and thought there story was just as interesting and should have been explored more. Some details were left hanging, like what happened to Gabrielle's powers when she was turned into a vampire? Would they be able to have children?

Good love story - started out a little hard to read, some times i had to re-read just to be sure i was understanding who everyone was - but after the 1st chapter or so i REALLY got into this book. It was very good! Loved the characters, loved the romance involoved, not just raw sex but very passionate love scenes. Hard to put the book down after really getting into it.

I couldn't even finish this book and that is a first for me. There was no cohesiveness to the story. It seemed to jump from one plot point to the next. And don't even get me started on the lack of historical content. It just didn't seem to make sense to me at all. This was the worst book ever. I purchased this book due to the positive reviews I read and I regret that I did.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book by Julia Templeton!

Personally, it immediately gets 5 stars just for having a wonderful, beautiful M/M romance along with the main characters' developing story. It was incredibly refreshing to read the scenes between Demetri and Remont and see them work through their relationship.

Aside from that, the love story between Darius and Gabrielle is just beautiful, sweet, and incredibly romantic. And hot. Did I mention hot?

I started reading it the other night and could NOT put it down! I finished it the same night and now am eager to read what else she has written and what she will come up with next.