Customer Reviews

Virtue

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have read a few of Jane Feather's other books and I thought that this one was one of the best. Judith is just free and out there, but Marcus is a little uptight and that is what made it amazing. Putting these two together was like putting heaven and hell together. It's the passion they have together and it makes you never want to put the book down.

If you like this genre (erotic regency), you will not be disappointed. The relationship between the reluctant-but-forced-into conning heroine and the determined-not-to-be-conned hero is imaginatively developed. An delicious psycho-erotic tension (so productive to escapist fantasy!) between the two strong-willed characters is maintained from beginning to conclusion. This is the type of novel that Georgette Heyer might have written if she'd had a post-sexual liberation mind-set.

Brother and sister Sebastian and Judith Davenport plan to take on revenge for the man who ruined their father by duping various young men in the gaming halls. Their plans are severely thwarted when Judith becomes compromised by Marcus, Lord Carrington and must marry him. Marcus wants a respectable wife and the gambling of Judith for him is not acceptable. Judith feels she cannot give up her plan for revenge and must decide between achieving that goal or an ultimate chance at love.

This started a little slowly for me.The seduction and the marriage were such a sham. Neither Marcus nor Judith really seemed to feel much more than a little bit of lust for one another. And a critical part in a romance novel has to be a really strong feeling between the hero and heroine.

However, this is a story that needs to build and Feather is great with the character development between both Marcus and Judith and also Sebastian her brother. Marcus and Judith are such an unlikely pair. He starts off so stuffy but seems not at all so when she turns him into a passionate incredible lover. And Judith is one of the more unconventional women. She totally has Marcus under a spell, as he says, "knowing her true self is like pealing layers of an onion"!

This is a complex tale of gambling, intrigue, revenge and winning back a lost family fortune. There is so much to the story and by the end you are so caught up in the romance of Marcus and Judith and very glad they did indeed fall passionately in love. I found this five star book a winner that I could not put down.

while I hate to be the voice of dissension here, I must say this was a throughly implausible romance. For a historical set in Regency times it was just wrong. The heroine shoots at the hero for offering her "carte blanche" (therefore insulting her honor) on page fifty but willingly beds this same man in a public inn by page sixty? While a battle with French forces is literally a town away? UGH.

The whole story is a bit to "convenient" to quickly throwing the hero and heroine together, seemingly, so they can bed each other. On top of all this both the hero and heroine are very unlikeable characters, and very one dimensional. Add to this the annoying habit of the hero to give the heroine a pet name, here "Lynx", and call her this several dozen times in the first 100 pages:( So cliche it's laughable. This is my first Jane Feather-I'll try a few more but if similar she'll quickly go on my "do not buy" list.

no stars.

I just finished reading this in the paperback version and felt the characters and plot were very well developed. It's hard to believe the Davenports' mother was as uncaring as she was portrayed, but I've met a similar type. The up and down romance between Judith and Marcus was very poignant. Enjoy!

This was a great book - the heroine was complex and unpredictable, the hero was passionate and loving, but determined not to be made into a fool. The tension-filled love scenes were memorable. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the book was the close relationship that the heroine has with her brother - unusual in a romance novel. Who will win the battle for Judith's loyalty - her passionate lover or her beloved brother, who cannot regain his stolen estate and title without his sister's help?

This story is so ingrossing I didn't want to put it down. Love, suspense, strong characters. A brother and sister that are a fabulous pair. There aren't many of Ms Feather's books that don't hold my interest till the end. Two of her books I found on auction, as I did this one, and both times someone cut out the insert art done by Pino Dangelico. Not fair, his work is beautiful. I definitely recommend this great book

I read Virtue and it enthralled me..the characters - Judith and Sebastian are two siblings with very strong characters with quick wits and they are both gamesters, too. But they do this(gamble) to survive and to attain their lifetime goals ie, to avenge their father's death and in turn recoup back Sebastian's inheritance and title.

Whereas Marcus Devlin is a stuffed shirt kinda character but he's a brilliant man, evident from his involvement with General Wellington and later the triumphant Battle of Waterloo. It's hilarious to see how Judith manages to thwart his attempts to stop her gambling. But the best part is, though most of the times they are at odds with each other, he will seek her romantically later on and it's great to see a hero who's passionate and stern at the same time.

At the glowing reviews this book has received... because I don't think I read the same book as everyone else.

The book itself dragged on, and you will find yourself getting impatient because the author is just too wordy, and I mean too wordy in a sense where its just boring.... the heroine is a manipulative sneak... very un-virtuous spoiled brat, a compulsive liar, and only time she shows any honor is when its convenient to her and what she wants. Add on a a hero who was mainly just gullible dullard...

To be frank, skip this book.

My second Jane Feathers novel (1st was Velvet) & I must say, I loved them both, although I was taken with Virture's complex storyline more. I loved how self sufficient our heroine was & how the hero was right in step with her throughout the entire novel. A truly entertaining read - highly recommend.