Customer Reviews

The Wicked Lover

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

She's not for everyone, but I just love Julia Ross' books! This is a sensual, complex, beautifully written story of revenge, intrigue and romance with two likable and compelling lead characters. Most particularly Robert Sinclair Dovenby who made his first appearance in Ms Ross' wonderful prior book THE SEDUCTION.

Known as "The Dove" in London Society, Robert is by no means an aristocrat and has only become the darling of society through his well-liked and powerful mistress Lady Grenham and his association with the late Lord Edward Vane (from THE SEDUCTION), brother of the powerful Duke of Yveshire. "Dove" is highly intelligent, handsome, charming and wickedly sensual. But when he arrives home one day to find his mistress very publicly dropping him and then a young woman with her manservant tied up in his bedroom, Dove knows with certain dread that trouble is afoot. The young man explains that he and the young lady were simply attempting to steal one of his cravats to win a wager when Lady Grenham discovered them and jumped to the conclusion that Dove was cheating on her. Dove knows instinctively that there is more to this story - and more to this young man who calls himself George White. In order to get to the bottom of things he compels George to work for him as his secretary confident that he will soon discover who George really is and what he was doing poking around Dove's home.

George White is actually Sylvie Georgiana, the Countess of Montevrain, who has worked for the Duke of Yveshire for years as a spy in France. She has now returned to her homeland of England in order to uncover Dove's (possibly illegal) covert activities and hopefully ruin him. For the Duke of Yveshire is convinced that Dove ruined his younger brother Edward and as a result is responsible for his death. Becoming Dove's secretary is the perfect cover for Sylvie as she will be privy to his papers, finances and movements. What she does not count on is her almost immediate attraction to him. She's spied on many men, even slept with some when necessary, but none has ever affected her like Dove. His every word and movement seems to drip with sensuality, charm and intelligence and try as she might, Sylvie is hard pressed to resist him. Only her disguise as a man is protecting her from his seduction.

But what poor Sylvie does not realize is that Dove has been on to her from the very beginning! He's known that she is really a woman from day one and he is purposely seducing her in a way the she does not even realize. As George, she is able to experience the freedom of being a man - sleigh races, ice skating on the Thames, coffeehouses and pubs. She almost wishes she could remain George White forever, but it is not to be. For the seduction has not all been one-sided and, uncomfortable with the notion that he may have fallen for an enemy, Dove finally admits that he knows her secret and demands to know for whom she is working and why. The moment of truth has come - what will Sylvie do? The duke is not only her employer, he's her friend; and now she cannot reconcile the duke's claims about Dove with the kind, gentle man she has come to know - and love. What really is the truth?

Such a wonderful tale with an unmistakable undercurrent of eroticism that makes such things as Dove teaching her how to bow properly, take snuff and throw like a man exercises in seduction. He's absolutely yummy and you see how a seasoned pro like Sylvie could fall under his spell! But the eroticism is subtle and stylish, so if you're a fan of Stephanie Laurens and her ilk for example, this book is probably not for you! And the weather of a London winter is almost a character here with the author making use of snow, slush, cold rain and fog beautifully. I've read all of Ms Ross' books and a couple that she wrote under Jean Ross-Ewing and have enjoyed every one. For me, she just never disappoints (though it would have been nice to have had some mention of Alden and Juliet from THE SEDUCTION as they were also involved with Lord Edward Vane!). Very highly recommended!

I sit here wondering what to tell you about Julia Ross's The Wicked Lover. Shall I mention that it's probably the best romance novel that I've read in the past year? possibly ever? It is. But I doubt that it would appeal to everyone.

The plot [in 25 words or less]: Sylvie, a lady with a checkered past, is hired by an enemy of Robert Dovenby to uncover his well-guarded past. She does this by posing as his male secretary. [granted, that was 28 words]

This is possibly the most erotic, sensual book that I have ever read. It is set in the eighteenth century and the characters remain consistent with their time period. They are jaded, cynical, secretive and fascinating as layer by layer we learn who they are. Dove and Sylvie are strongly attracted to each other from first sight and the first two hundred pages of the book becomes an elaborate exercise in foreplay. Every aspect of their lives takes on a sensual aspect. Remember those first weeks of falling in love? The mixture of lust and sensuality? Ross captures that. Everything from the clothes that touch their bodies and to the foods they eat carries a sensual note.

It is also a well-written, sometimes lyric, story with a strong plot and interesting supporting characters.

This book was way too long. In it, the author felt the need to describe everything, no matter how small or trivial, in unnecessarily excruciating detail. I lost count of the number of times she waxed poetic about the sky, the snow, the weather, the blades of grass, everything. There was so much florid, dull, pointless description. And did she have to keep repeating descriptions of the characters' physical appearances? I mean, yeah, I get it, the heroine has eyes the colour of lapis lazuli -- you don't have to write 'he looked into her lapis lazuli gaze' or whatever five times a chapter! This book went on for nearly 400 pages when it could have been done in 250 or less, the result of which would have been a far more gripping, exciting story, and one that would have wasted far less of my precious time in reading it!

The first 100 pages were tediously dull. Then the book got a bit more interesting for a while, before returning to dullness again. This pattern was repeated over and over. The storyline was often silly, too. The supposedly dramatic moments were more like melodrama than drama, and the author's florid, overlong writing style stole away most of the urgency and excitement from the pivotal plot points. The dialogue was clearly intended to be witty and highbrow (or at least what this writer imagines witty and highbrow conversation to be!), but suffered from not being tight or intelligent enough, and lapsed into obscurity, absurdity and stupidity far too frequently. Also, the characters very frequently laughed at each other's supposedly humourous comments...problem was, most of those comments were just not at all funny. More jokes missed the mark here than in an amateur open-mike night at a local standup comedy venue. To give credit where credit is due, occasionally the author got it right...on two occasions I laughed out loud at lines so funny they practically floored me. But two humorous quips in nearly 400 pages was just not enough to make me think that this book was worth my time.

There were a lot of flaws, too, like when the characters went on about the wonders of spring...in February.

I also didn't really feel much empathy for the characters. Oh, okay, I'll admit, Sylvie wasn't so bad -- she was at least a strong, independant woman who could mostly cope on her own, which is refreshing in a romance. And at least the Duke of Yveshire, even though he was supposed to be the hero's arch enemy, was a three dimensional character who was allowed to be seen for his virtues as well as faults. That was good. But the hero, Dove, was so maddeningly arrogant. He had a very high opinion of himself and expressed it constantly. According to him he was pretty much the greatest ever lover, fighter, companion and giver of parties, and was irresistible to all women and quite a lot of men as well. He thought he was God's gift, and not even his penchant for doing charitable work could really make me like him. He was just too perfect, and too keen to tell everyone that he was. I prefer my heroes to be a little more flawed and humble. In the end, I rather preferred the Duke of Yveshire to the hero, which probably shouldn't happen in a romance where we are supposed to like the hero the best out of all the men in it.

This book dragged on and on for me like a rainy day, with only occasional bursts of sunshine to liven it up. But then, everyone else seems to have given it a glowing review. Am I not a very good judge of books? Or is it that everyone else who has written a review here has MUCH lower literary standards than I? Is it that most people are happy with mediocrity? Or am I too much of a nit-picker? I'm sure you'll draw your own conclusions.

I decided to get this book since the reviews was positive. I hate to say it but this book was very boring. I didn't find it erotic at all, what part was it erotic? The story plot was boring, the characters were boring and the sex scenes as limited as it was was boring. The sex scene wasn't even in there til the very end of the book. And not even the sex scene was appealing.

She's defintly not for readers who enjoy Laurens, or Kleypas. Far from it. So if you happen to stop by at a used bookstore, and you've extended your books written by authors that you enjoy reading from, take a peak at ross' books and then decide if you want to take to time to read a tedious wordy book.

The Wicked Lover by Julia Ross

February 10, 2005

Courtesy of WWW.loveromances.com

Julia Ross's THE WICKED LOVER is more than just a well written historical romance. Filled with espionage and intrigue, the novel combines elements of romance and mystery to arrive at a winning story.

Sylvie Georgiana works for the Duke of Yveshire, a man of considerable wealth and power. For money, she does him favors by spying on the ton, and in this novel her current assignment is to dig up whatever she can on Robert Dovenby, whose origins are in some doubt. The book opens with "Dove", as he is called by most, in the middle of a trying scene, where his now former lover Lady Margaret (Meg), Countess of Grenham, is tossing out his clothes and into a bonfire. It was her not-so-subtle way of letting him and the public know that their affair was over, and they were no longer an item. In the meantime, "George", Sylvie's latest persona, is tied to the bed in Dove's home. It is truly a spectacular beginning to a promising story.

As the novel continues to deliver its tale, the momentum does not quit. Filled with romance, excitement and mystery, the reader has to guess whether Dove is truly the evil man Yveshire claims he is, or is Dove the honest and giving man that Sylvie sees him as. Yveshire's hatred for Dove is all consuming, and Sylvie's allegiance to the Duke conflicts with what she knows of Dove. The more she gets to know Dove, the more she sees that he's charitable, honest and not the evil man depicted by the Duke. And the longer she is acquainted with this handsome rogue, as she is now his hired secretary, she finds herself deeply attracted to Dove.

Witty repartee can be found between "George" and Dove, and for quite some time Sylvie thinks that Dove has no idea she's really a woman. However, Dove suspects from the very beginning that this young "man" is nothing more than a woman in disguise. For what reason, however, Dove cannot figure out. But he goes along with the ruse, pretending as long as he can that she is a person of the male gender. It's a joke on Sylvie, as Dove brings Sylvie along with him on outings that would truly be fit only for a man.

Their lives are soon in danger, as they find that there is someone in their midst that is working for the "other side". Dove could easily be tried for treason, and they now need to find out who is the traitor. The ending will reveal who is really the bad guy and who are the good guys, and the reader will be satisfied with the conclusion.

THE WICKED LOVER comes highly recommended. A complex plot, smart characters, and the backdrop of the life of the ton, the fan of historical romances will find this novel worth reading. Julia Ross has a gift for writing a unique type of romance novel, and this reviewer plans on reading more by her in the future.

Ross's Georgian romances are never what one expects. They have a vein of eroticism and plots and characters that push the boundaries of the genre making for not to be missed reads. When Robert Sinclair Dovenby "Dove" returns home he discovers his mistress, the powerful Lady Grenham is very publicly dumping him by burning all his belongings in public. The event was precipitated by the arrival of a young woman and her manservant who Lady Grenham has tied to Dove's bed. George White, the manservant, is in actuality Sylvie Georgiana, the Countess of Montevrain, who Dove institutes as his secretary. Sylvie, who is spying on him in an effort to destroy him is unaware that Dove knows she is a woman in disguise. Twists and turns entwine with sensuality and suspense to make this lush romance a page turner.

Very well written, and was much like the masterpiece of all romance novels, A TOUCH OF VELVET.

I thought Dove was adorable, tough, genius, and romantic, all the things that make for a great hero. This was my first book by this author, so I was a bit surprised the heroine had had so many lovers; the fact that Dove wasn't taken aback by this showed what a wonderful, non-judgmental man he truly was. The book was a little bit too long, but it was truly nothing short of magnificant.

I have only been reading Romance Novels for the past four years, but am devouring them at the rate of two a day. This one is really OUTSTANDING. If you like Lisa Kleypas and Mary Jo Putney this one is right up your alley.

The writing is incredibly achingly wonderful, the characters very finely drawn. And the foundling really is a foundling, not the suddenly discovered great-grand child of the Dowager Duchess of Whoever, recognizable by the striking eyes, etc...This book sent me to the paperback exchange, to EBAY and to Amazon to corral everything she has written. I have now read, The Dark Prince, but is not as fine as this one. But well worth the read. She also has some fine things under her other name, Jean R. Ewing.

Julia Ross' writing puts her at the top of the heap - she has such a fantastic voice, creates so many beautifully turned phrases...her plots are original, her dialogue witty and her characters alive - I was unseated by her first book, and now consider her the queen of romance (actually she shared the throne with Loretta Chase).

This is the first time I've ever read Ms. Ross. I was introduced to this talented author by a fellow reader and needless to say I've ordered her back list. This was a read that drew me in from the very beginning and did not let go until the very final page. Seldom do I get so involved with a read that I can't put the book down, This book was amazing and I read it in one sitting.

Sylvie Georgiana is on a mission to ruin Robert Sinclair Dovenby or "Dove" as he is known in his social circles. He is everything that she was not expecting. What starts out to be a clear cut mission soon becomes blurred the longer she is in his employee. Did I mention that she is posing as a man?

Well, Dove knows right from the very beginning that "George" is more than "he" seems and sets out to find out just want the mysterious lady wants. In the process they play a sensual game of cat and mouse where getting "caught" is the whole point. What will happen when Sylvie learns that Dove is not the bad guy she was led to believe he is and what will she do when he speaks to her sensual self? Will she be able to walk away with her heart in tack?

This was a great historical romance full of wonderful historic details. Ms. Ross is a very poetic writer. Her prose is one of the things that sets her apart from her fellow writers. Add to this her wonderful characters, and fun storyline and you have the makings of a hard to put down read! I highly recommend Ms. Ross and I look forward to reading her again in the future!

Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com