Customer Reviews

Taboo

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

But I so wish that Andre would have listen to his heart that seemed to be beating in such a different manner for the first 3/4 of this book, then wham at the end what happened to this sensitive loving man that left his troops twice before to save his love Teo? The second time he was saving the life of his unborn child too! Those scenes in the middle of the book where he is so torn up over thinking she might die or the child might die - then when he is just tearing himself up over the desire to make love to her and so fearful that he could hurt them - these were some of the most romantic in any book - they were absolutely incredible - Andre was incredible - the love between this couple was so intense. The last scene when he rushes to see her for 2 hours before he safely sends her off to her homeland - was just beautiful. So what happened to this man - I just am with some of the other reviewers the last part of this book just did not add up to the first part. I still loved the story and do feel this was a great romantic read but I could have done without the battles in the end and would have liked a better more honorable manner based on Duras's intense love for Teo - and it was just too hurried when they finally were reunited. Did it really take his friend Henri to convince him to go back to Teo? No one earlier could have convinced him not to have rescued her before and no one could have kept him from going after her husband. So for this part of the book I will reluctantly give only 4 stars when up till that point it was a 5 star plus book. It is good to know that this wonderful couple has 5 wonderful children and the stories to follow especially about Pasha are some excellent reads!!

In 1799, on the Eastern front, the French army, led by their great tactician and leader General André Duras, makes ready for a battle with the Russian army led by the renowned but abusive General Korsakova. Three days before the battle, Korsakova,s spouse, Teo, who was at the front at the insistence of her husband, is caught by the French army. André informs Teo that she will remain a French prisoner of war until the present fighting ends.

To Andre's shock, Teo is more than happy to remain his prisoner because she loathes the vituperative Korsakova. She explains that she married him so her Siberian people would be safe from his wrath. He, in turn, explains that he is married to Tallyrand's niece, a materialist who could not care whether André survives the war or not as long as she gets her desires fulfilled. On the eve of the battle, André and Teo share the most beautiful love making of their lives and soon realize that they have both found love for the first time. However, there is a war going on with the lovers having different allegiences, making it appear that either they will have no future together, or one or both of them will have to become traitors.

Sizzling Susan Johnson writes what may her best novel yet in what is already one of the great writing careers of the nineties. TABOO is an incredible historical romantic fiction that is a battlefield equivalent to Romeo and Juliet. The book is clearly a Johnson tale because all her trademark elements are included: The lead protagonists are as romantic and as hot as they get in fiction, and the poignant story line moves faster than General Duras' rapidly advancing French army. In addition to the solar heat, Ms. Johnson adds touches of authenticity that turn the book into one of the three best historical romances of the year.

Harriet Klausner

This was my second Susan Johnson Book, my first was Blaze. Iloved Blaze and highly recommend it. Taboo has more historical battlescenes,for my taste, but the relationship between Teo and Andre is so juicy that I was able to overlook the boring battles and statics. The love that developes between the two and the really erotic love-making is worth the read. I thought Andre was a wonderful HERO. The love story itself is also extremely orginal and not like so many of the other romance/historical novels out there. However if you are easily offended by graphic sexual detail, this is not the book for you.

Come on how can two people meet, have sex and fall madly in love in two days in 1799??? She in one paragraph states her faithfulness to her husband and in the next is having sex with Andre and asking him to give her a child! Don't bother buying this book.

I enjoyed the erotic writing(what there was of it), but the battle scenes were too much. There were a couple pages that I turned because it was boring. I couldn't wait for Teo and Andre to get back to each other to spice it up a bit. I guess if you want to buy a book to read about the war and all the details this is a good one. Personally I bought it because of the previous books in the series (Sinful and Wicked) Now these were scrumptious. I thought this would be just as spicy.

I did not have issue with the use of the F world or C word in the story, it was just that there was no story. Ms. Johnson, this was a romance book? There was no romance, just a silly heroine, Countess Teo, who falls in love and lust within 5 minutes of meeting our always aroused hero, Andre Dumas. He was a sexy man but she was a bimbo. Lots of sex does not make for romance. This book was just plain bad...really bad.

The characters in this book were so shallow that I was not able to even finish this book! It seems like Ms. Johnson was so absorbed with the war details in this book that she forgot to develop her characters. Even the usually hot love scenes left me uninterested.

I expect SJ to come up with exciting and erotic sex scenes in her books. Frankly, that's the key reason to read her books in the first place. But really, those scenes in this book are too plain and forgettable. And the story? Quite a yawn. All in all, a flat and forgettable book.

The historical facts were interesting, but like most reviewers have said, it seemed as if Teo and Andre were more in lust than in love. The numberous sex sences flat out ruined the "romance" aspect of the story for me.
Teo's character was not really flushed out. The back of the book says she was "forced to marry the brutal Russian General who enslaved her people", but you never know more about her life before Khorsakov entered it. What was her life like before her people were conquered? What made Khorsakov so cruel? He was nothing more than a stock character-one with the word "villain" printed on his forhead. Rather than a villian I'd love to hate, Korsakov is just thrown in so readers can say: Gee, what a meany he is!" and why did it take so long for Andre to confront him? He might as well have been killed sooner. that seemed to be the main function of his character anyway.

I adored "Blaze" though, so there is still hope I may read more of Susan's books again!

I could not get past chapter 1.

sigh. I was so looking forward to finding out if this author was truly good; as I've heard of her erotica. I guess I'm not that desperate to learn. Too much to take in at once.