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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Kind of slow going in the middle but beginning and end are good, April 6, 2009
This review is from: Taken and Seduced (Mass Market Paperback)
I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning chapters and ending chapters of Julia Latham's latest novel Taken and Seduced. The middle left much to be desired because it just seemed to move so very slowly.
Lady Florence is kidnapped one morning as she strolls through her garden contemplating her future life in a convent. She has a limp and her father has no prospects for her. Her kidnapper is Adam Hilliard, a man who has vengeance on his mind when he takes Florrie from her home. Adam has a real vendetta against Florrie's father and he believes that having Florrie in his possession will entice the man into a confrontation.
Adam is a member of the League of Blades, a group of knights who protect the innocent. I had never read any of Ms. Latham's previous novels regarding this brotherhood and was a bit uncertain as to its origins and members. A little more background into this knightly society would have been helpful in understanding Adam.
At first Lady Florrie is angry she has been kidnapped but then she recognizes that Adam and his companions mean her no harm. Being an optimistic person, Florrie embarks on a grand adventure with Adam before joining the nunnery. Her actions have an underlying wonder and sweetness to them. It is easy to like her and Adam certainly does. He fights his feelings for her constantly and here is where the action slowed considerably. Adam and Florrie find themselves in intimate situations without really exploring their feelings or communicating their thoughts well. This happened several times in the middle of the story. Also the action and tension waned during their journey to London where Florrie's father resides. The leads never felt like they were in real peril even though there were misadventures along the way.
The ending of this book is good though because finally there are some honest feelings expressed by the leads and it was a little surprising to see that sweet Florrie could be manipulative for a good cause. The confrontation between Adam and Florrie's father is almost anticlimactic in light of all the changes which occur in Adam before their meeting. This novel warrants 3.5 stars. It could have been a four star novel if only the middle portion were as engaging as the story's beginning and end.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mediaeval Romance, June 18, 2009
This review is from: Taken and Seduced (Mass Market Paperback)
Set in 1486, the story opens with our heroine Lady Florence ('Florrie') Becket being kidnapped by three men. The hint is given right at the beginning that the kidnappers aren't your usual ruffians when the lead kidnapper is described as black-haired, tall, with broad shoulders and muscular arms and a low, gravelly voice. Yes, our kidnapper is our hero.
This isn't a case of Stockholm Syndrome, however; it is more that Florrie finally has the opportunity to do something she's always wanted to do - travel and see more of England. She has a weak leg which means her father has pretty much ignored her and she's been stuck at home, looking after her sisters. Being kidnapped by three knights, who are polite and solicitous of her, means that she is able to begin to almost enjoy her captivity.
Unfortunately the hero, Adam Hilliard, plans to kill her father as an act of revenge, and Florrie is his bargaining chip. However the more she learns about Adam and his mysterious upbringing at the hands of a group called the League of the Blade, the more she tries to help him. But can Florrie and Adam find something together when her father is his sworn enemy and when she is meant to become a nun?
The mediaeval setting of this story, and their long journey through England, added much to the enjoyment. An insight into the difficulties that women faced in that society was also interesting to this reader. The love story worked, in that we saw Adam and Florrie gradually getting to know and value one another. I felt that the end was perhaps a little rushed and that Adam's change of heart didn't feel entirely convincing but overall I enjoyed the story.
Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2009
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Taken and Seduced by Julia Latham, May 8, 2009
This review is from: Taken and Seduced (Mass Market Paperback)
"Taken and Seduced" will be a hit for those who appreciate a less-experienced hero paired with a virginal heroine. Julia Latham continues her stories of 'the League of the Blade', a shadowy, fictional group of warriors who fight to right wrongs in 15th century England.
Lady Florence has learned to be optimistic in life. Her limp and her lack of great beauty coupled with an uncaring father mean that she is destined for life in a convent. She's not looking forward to such a quiet life and yearns for adventure. So when she's kidnapped by a group of men, she's frightened at first but quickly learns they mean her no harm. She's just a tool to get to her father...but there's no saying she can't enjoy her adventure, right?
Sir Adam is really an Earl and he's determined to see Lady Florence's father pay for his sins. Kidnapping a lady wasn't his first choice, but surely any father will fight for his daughter's freedom. But Florence is nothing like Adam expected and his limited exposure to women only compounds the problem he's having...he's having a very hard time keeping his hands off her.
I enjoyed the story of Florence and Adam very much. His limited experience with women and his confusion with Florence's actions and motivations were a joy to read. I appreciated Florence's outlook on life and her desire to experience all she could before being shuffled off to a convent. But the rest of the plot? I didn't enjoy so much. It seemed to wander in many places and, other than the romance aspect, it was hard for me to stay 'with' the story. I wanted to skip the 'other' stuff and get back to Adam and Florence. The secondary cast wasn't very well developed and I'm still a bit confused as to the 'whys' of the event that precipitated Adam's upbringing as it still seems something very out-of-character and out-of-the-blue.
All in all, if you like sweeter romances with fun lead characters, then you may enjoy "Taken and Seduced". Just don't look for much more than the romance aspect of the tale.
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