Customer Reviews

The Pleasure Trap

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

 

 

Eve Dearing was only a little girl in 1806 when her mother, Antonia, died. She woke up in her little bed, hearing her mother's voice within her mind calling out to her. Eve followed the voice to find her mother dying near a quarry, just outside of London. Antonia had always had a sixth sense. The family called it the Claverly Charisma. As Antonia died, she imprinted a picture within Eve's mind, a premonition of future danger, and warned Eve to be careful. From then on, Eve refused to believe that she had the Claverly charisma.

In 1818, Eve has become a lovely lady. When her father remarried, Eve moves in with her Aunt Millicent, who has a small portion of the Claverly charisma. Eve writes Gothic romances, which are all the rage now. Since Gothic romances are sneered at by many, no writer dares to reveal her true identity. All authors write under a pseudonym. Eve is known as Mrs. Barrymore. Eve and Millicent go to attend the annual writer's symposium, as they do each year, and then prolong their time in town with Lady Sally Sayers to take in the Season. Eve plans to have a Season in her next novel and needs the experience to make her tale more real. Along for the trip is Eve's dog, Dexter.

After years of battling the French, Viscount Ash Denison wants only to enjoy and savor the good life. Then a friend asks Ash to attend a writer's symposium to unmask the true identity of Angelo. Angelo has been resurrecting fourteen-year-old tragedies of high society families and writing them in articles for the newspapers to print. However, Angelo writes up the accidents as if they were murders instead. The latest article implied that Ash's simple-minded brother, Harry, did NOT accidently drown at the young age of ten, but was murdered instead. Thus, Ash's spy mission has become personal, especially since Ash had loved his brother.

Ash meets Eve at the symposium and is instantly interested in her. Ash even begins to dream of ravishing her. Eve is dreaming the same. Neither knows that they are sharing dreams together. Had the thought crossing their minds, they would have laughed. Ash does not believe in sixth sense and Eve refuses to believe she still has the Claverly charisma. But then one of the Gothic romance writers, Lydia, plays a dangerous game by pretending to be Angelo. Eve and Ash's dream is interrupted by Lydia's scream when she is attacked. More danger comes into play when a patient escapes from the hospital (Bedlam) nearby. However, the scariest part is that Eve's gift is reawakening and she is, somehow, getting inside the mind of a killer. The killer is after Nell, the little escapee who witnessed Lydia's attack, and turns his sight on Eve as well.

***** W-O-W! That is all that came to my mind when I finished this book. Author Elizabeth Thornton has a new fan in me! This story has all the pleasure of a Historical Romance, all the suspense of a Mystery Thriller, and some Super Natural Romance tossed in for good measure. I read this entire book in one sitting! I simply could not put the book down. Therefore, I went to work the next day with absolutely zero sleep! Yes, this story is THAT great. This is going directly to my Keeper Shelf, never to be loaned out, and to be read again at a later date. Put this title on you Must Have list! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

EH- That is the one word I would describe this story. At first I was led to believe the plot would be about Eve, the heroine who secretly writes gothic novels and the hero, Ash who likes her books, but doesn't realize she writes them... what we get instead is some inane plot where our writer has some sort of ESP or dreams about things that will happen and Ash has issues with his father, brother, heck maybe even the family dog?
The chemistry between these two are bland and whereas this story would have been cute if there was no mystery or paranormal aspect, what we get instead is a mess with too many secondary character and they all seem to have major issues, but I was so confused at who was coming and going practically gave up.

There is even an escaped loony girl from Bedlam that pops up for no reason. And of course a killer on the loose who may or may not have killed dear Eve's mother and wants to kill her also!

In a nutshell, this book is very confusing and it seemed Thornton had no clue which way she wanted the story to go. Is this a Historical Romance? Fantasy Mystery? Paranormal Loony?

Take your pick and if one of these plots looks like a winner to you, you are welcome to read it here in this convoluted novel.

A big pass on this one.

Katiebabs

I'm not sure what Thornton was doing while writing this, but I put it in my don't-keep pile as soon as I finished reading. Her other books have all had plenty of life in them, but this was just dull. I've really enjoyed her other work, and hope future books will bounce back.

In 1818 war hero Ash Denison attends a writer's symposium to uncover who is writing gothic romantic suspense stories that implies the anonymous author has insider information involving the murder of his brother. He admits to himself some the writers are really good as he especially enjoys the work of a Mrs. Barrymore that he sampled.

Eve "Mrs. Barrymore" Dearing is in town for season. Ash has taken an interest in her that she quickly realizes is based on his belief she authors the scandalous stories that rock the Ton and renewed him on his quest to find out who killed his sibling. As they fall in love, he fears a murderer has stolen his heart. However, when she seems to be the next victim of the killer, Ash risks his life to keep his beloved safe.

This Regency whodunit romance is much more complex and somewhat convoluted than described above. The story line is exhilarating with the action never stopping and the locations used in a refreshing brisk manner. Whether it is at the writer's convention, a bedlam asylum, or a stolen kiss, fans will appreciate Elizabeth Thornton's terrific serial killer historical romance starring two fully developed protagonists, an unknown murderous constant critic who proves the sword is mightier than the pen, and a horde of authors.

Harriet Klausner

Eve Dearing is a Gothic Romance writer under the name of Mrs. Barrymore. She hides herself under baggy clothing and undesirable hairdo's trying to keep a low profile. At 24 she is too old to be single, but Eve doesn't want to be married. She has the gift of sight; something she has learned is not always accepted.

Ash Denison has a reputation as a charmer and a ladies man. He's always in style, a war hero and has a few secrets. He also isn't too interested in marriage. When he's asked to undercover the identity of a writer who is turning up past secrets, he reluctantly takes on the task.

When Ash first sees Eve he is convinced there is more to the controlled, frumpy and aloof writer; their chemistry is palpable. Soon the two of them find themselves working together in a race to find a writer and a murderer. Although the chemistry between Ash and Eve is pretty instantaneous their relationships builds gradually and realistically. Their personalities are fun and they compliment and play well off of each other.

The Pleasure Trap starts off with a very enthralling first chapter and doesn't slow its momentum. It is an enjoyable combination of mystery, suspense, historical and paranormal romance. Throughout this book I was on the edge of my seat as page by page I was treated to a well crafted mystery that involved both past and present. This was my first book by Ms. Thornton and I was thoroughly impressed and entertained, it will not be my last. Enjoy!

I had anticipated adding this book to my collection of Elizabeth Thornton's romances, to re-read one day. After having forced my way through this one to the very end, I will not add this one to my collection. Eve and Ashe, the main characters didn't seem to have the spark or depth of character that they needed and the story line was pretty weak. The only two characters I found really interesting were Eve's father and stepmother, who appeared late in the book. Still I don't plan on giving up on Elizabeth Thornton's romances, I now await her next romance.

i'm not sure if this is the beginning to a series or not. i do know that the hero was introduced to readers in the author's previous 'trap' series. unfortunately, i hadn't read those books, and because much of his characterization is based upon his appearances in those books, i was left feeling as though i didn't really know him.

viscount ash denison is supposedly the darling of the ton, an amiable yet aimless gentleman who also happens to be a war vet. he meets eve, an accomplished gothic writer, at an author symposium. he is attracted to her beauty, intelligence and professional focus.

eve is an authoress who has a rather tragic past. her mother, a woman with the gift of seeing the future and reading the thoughts of others, is killed when eve is a child, although she telepathically tells eve she fell. her mother then plants images into eve's mind to warn her about her future. eve also has the gift to read minds (known as the claverly charisma), but after her mother's death she squashes her gift because she sees it as a curse. after her father remarries, eve goes to live with her mother's sister, one who also has a little of the 'claverly charisma'.

at the point where the book begins, there are a number of stories turning up in one of the papers, stories hinting that incidents written off as accidents were in fact murders. the author goes by the name of angelo but nobody knows who he/she is. an associate of ash hires him to find out who authored the stories. ash is personally vested in the investigation after one of the stories printed involves the death of his younger brother many years ago.

things take a dangerous turn when an author is attacked and it's obvious she is attacked because the one who committed the murders doesn't want to be found out.

the mystery part of this story was well done. i really had no idea who the culprit until he/she was revealed. the author did a good job of casting the possibility of guilt on a number of characters so as to keep the reader guessing.

unfortunately, the romance wasn't nearly as fleshed out as it could have been. the main conflict between hero and heroine is the 'claverly charisma'. emma now embraces her 'gift' and wants ash to believe her when she tells him she can read minds. ash is extremely cynical and unwilling to believe in such things. even when he is faced with the fact that what she says is true, ash doesn't believe until the situation becomes perilous.

the romance between hero and heroine actually begins in their dreams. they're having the same steamy dreams about each other. they become closer after they realize they're having the same dreams. this felt like a shortcut to me, elimiating genuine moments in exchange for dreams (and it was never explained why ash shared her dreams) meanwhile, there is never a sense of urgency here and while there is a build up of sexual tension, it feels tepid to me. the intimate scenes are okay, but nothing to write home about. i think it's because while both hero and heroine are likable, they are really just bland characters. i never understand why ash is so desirable as there is very little interaction with anyone outside of the group of authors. he is a good guy. that's about it. eve's characterization gets devoured by the 'claverly charisma' as she spends so much time trying to convince ash of her 'gift', lamenting about how the 'claverly charisma' tore her parents apart, etc., she never reveals other aspects of her personality.

finally, there are ALOT of secondary characters here and a few with names so similar that i as the reader became confused. because the story takes place at a gathering of female authors, i am able to see a level of female bonding i generally don't see in romance novels. however, in addition to the secondary characters are TWO secondary romances that have to be wrapped up along with the primary romance. both are unnecessary and make for three rushed resolutions.

so this book has got one mystery, THREE romances, and at least seven characters on top of the hero/heroine...simply way too many ingredients in this dish. none of the characters are fully-realized, the primary romance is never fully developed, and the only thing i cared about at the end was the resolution of the mystery...not a good thing when it's a romance novel.

I tryed to like this novel - but it just did not flow and I never felt a connection with the characters. The story had potential with Eve having a gift of reading people thoughts. Ash found himself have erotic dreams about Eve by night and trying to solve a mystery by day. I would get this book at the library if you are pure Thornton fan.

A good mystery, a fine romance and a little clairvoyance add up to a very satisfying read in this third entry to Thornton's "trap" series. Eve Dearing is a popular writer of Gothic romance who lives a quiet village life with her aunt. She also possesses a powerful sixth sense. Eve is staying in London and attending a women writer's symposium when one of the city's newspapers runs a disturbing series of short stories. These stories - by a secret author - cast doubt on supposedly "accidental" deaths from the past, and hint that one of the women writers may know who the killer is. Lord Ash Denison's brother was a victim of one of these "accidental" deaths, and Ash is determined to find out who is writing these stories. Ash mistakenly suspects Eve, and he befriends her through a mutual acquaintance. Although Ash is a bit of a dandy and Eve (although beautiful) dresses like a spinster, he is instantly drawn to her and can't get her off his mind. He senses there is more to Eve than meets the eye. Eve's mind is likewise full of Ash. He even invades her dreams...very "vivid" dreams with very un-spinsterlike behavior.

I really enjoyed this book. There was always something of interest going on and there was never a part where I felt the need to flip ahead - because I so enjoyed what was in the moment! It had a true romantic feel. Ash and Eve, their dialogue and interplay and courtship, were a real delight. I liked the sixth sense element - I LOVED their shared dreams - and the way that disparate people and events wound up being connected. There were two nice secondary romances and an overall feeling of enchantment in the air, despite the danger. I would have liked to learn the outcome of Eve's book (it was noticeably forgotten later in the story) and wondered why Brand and Marion from the previous book did not have a role in this one (Brand made a very brief solo appearance), but all in all this was a fine read. In fact, the whole "trap" series has been very good.

This book sounded so cute, a little paranormal, fiesty heroine, skeptic hero. I haven't finished the book. I don't know how you can be attracted to someone that you despise, that's the impression I got from the hero. I stopped reading due to the reason, the story seems to have stalled half way through. I might finish it. But I'm not sure. Maybe my sister will read it and let me know how it ended, because right now I have no desire to finish reading it. Very disappointed. To bad satisfaction guaranteed didn't come with books, it would save a lot of money.