Customer Reviews

A Woman Scorned

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

As this story opens, the arrogant and lecherous sixth Marquis of Mercer, Henry Rowland, meets his Maker in an unexpected and untimely fashion. Months later, his embattled young widow Jonet, suspected but never proven to have murdered him, is desperate. Unexpected accidents befall herself and her two young sons, and she has surrounded herself with as many trustworthy servants from her native Scotland as she can find. However, she must resume their education and some semblance of normalcy - she cannot put this off any longer - and she undertakes to hire a tutor. Her co-guardian, who is unfortunately also her late husband's brother, would like nothing more than to prove her an unfit mother, and he endeavors to place his nephew, Captain Cole Amherst, into her household as both tutor and informant, to bolster his plans to seek sole custody of the boys. The Captain, who knows all too well what the boys would face if left to his uncle's rearing, agrees only to the role of tutor. For much of the first part of the book, he struggles with his ambivalent attraction to the widow Jonet, as well, until it becomes clear to all that her fears for her children are well-founded. Both Jonet and Cole flounder in a sea of dark uneasiness and sexual tension, not knowing where to focus their suspicions and neither sure of the other's affections. An unexpected but well-written household catastrophe finally galvanizes Cole to action, and and in the process, forces he and Jonet to deal with their feelings for one another. Secrets spill out fast and furious, mysteries and minds unravel, and the reader is left with the sensation of having read a solid, satisfying story.

LC's plot contained just the right amount of suspense for me, keeping me a little impatient and stringing me along to find out more. Every time I thought I had a character figured out, she'd also write a little twist that would throw me off. The characters are also prone to introspection, and Cole comes off as more likable than Jonet, but I have to say that she never stepped out of character - a lady toughened and made cynical by a loveless match to a man twice her age, she is something of a contrast to Cole, the scholar and cleric who found something unexpected in himself when he became a soldier. I delighted in LC's literary technique of introducing each chapter with a synopsis statement, as if we were watching a play unfold. It's nice to read a work of this genre in which as much attention is paid to the prose, as is to the sex. There are some very erotic and explicit scenes later in the book as Cole and Jonet's relationship deepens, although the tension is offset by some unexpected humor. If you are offended by them, skip them. Overall, this is a book I'd gladly recommend to others, and I look forward to reading more of LC's work.

I was most certainly not disappointed with Liz Carlyle's second novel. How refreshing to find an author who does not assume her readers are either immature or ill-informed. I appreciate that Liz Carlyle does meticulous research and makes every effort to ensure the peripheral details in her work are spot on. I was well entertained although I had figured out "whodunit" well before the denoument of the book.

What draws me to LC's work are her well-drawn characters whom she lets play out a story in fully believable settings. Without patronising her readers, she sketches out men and women who are troubled, driven, passionate and emotional. The psychological implications are there for the scrupulous reader to pick up and consider.

I won't go over the plot - others have done this very well. I won't "defend" the S&M scene to those who found it offensive. I have seen a lot of discussion about it here and elsewhere. However, I thought it fit into the story, fit into the mood, fit into the profile of the characters she had built. Cole Amherst is riven by internal conflict - the drive towards good (and he is an inherently good man) and the pull towards straying from his chosen path really are what the book is about. Therefore, that particular scene, which I thought was very exciting and well written, only add to his internal conflict as he "acts out" some of this with Jonet who loves him enough to allow this within the context of their loving relationship. Jonet is a strong woman; some of the readers who did not like her perhaps miss the point that she was srong as a result of her insidious and deeply rooted fears. A woman who has been used, particularly as she was by her father, may react in a different way from one who has been lovingly cherished by her parents.

The other sex scenes were, in my view, excellent without detracting from the story line and I thought they were beautifully written.

All in all, a tour de force. This is not an easy novel to read; it requires that the reader grow along with the characters and experience the torment they must endure to grow together. You feel, at the conclusion of the novel, that this couple fully deserve the ecstatic happiness they appear to have found together.

I look forward to reading Beauty Like the Night and A Woman of Virtue.

This is only the second Carlyle book that I have read but I think that I might have stumbled across another must-read author.

Her characters are richly portrayed, unique, dramatic, troubled, and highly interesting. I found that her story plot was well formed even though the 'villian' is easy to spot. I really enjoyed that the two main characters were so well matched for eachother. Despite their sizzling dislike which is used to mask how much they really are drawn to eachother they still managed to trust and show genuine concern for the other. I enjoyed that the characters remained uniquely themselves despite the rough past and the sterotypes that they had lived through. The children were an added bonus - fun, sweet, and entertaining.

I would have liked to understand more of their emotions, fears, concerns etc. after they became a couple. It seemed as if the transition between enemies and lovers was too abrupt. I was not even for sure that they trusted eachother and then they were spouting off I love you. It felt a little rushed and not very fulfilling. This is my only complaint to a truly worthwhile read.

About the light bondage scene, even though I'm sure that scene portrayed is too mild to even call it that. It was enjoyable for both parties, it was fun, they laughed, teased, and giggled through the whole thing not at all violent, harsh, or cruel for either party. Very in-step for their relationship progression. Does not take away from the book at all in my opinion.

Overall a wonderful story with a great mix of romance and mystery. Dramatic but not too heavy. Highly recommended - where can I find the other books by this author?

You've got to love a heroine who knows what she wants and goes for it. In the case of Jonet, A WOMAN SCORNED's heroine, it's Capt. Cole Amherst she wants. Despite the fact that he seems to have been sent by her worst enemy to spy on her following the mysterious circumstances surrounding her husband's death, and despite the fact that the pair couldn't be more different, Jonet realizes that she needs Cole. She needs his decency, she needs his friendship, she needs the security she feels with him...and, oh yes, it doesn't hurt that he's gorgeous! Liz Carlyle turns the usual romance plot upside down by having the heroine doing the pursuing. Cole is a fascinating hero -- orphaned at 12, he was raised by a manipulative uncle. Destined to be a vicar, Cole abandoned that ambition to join the Army, in part to escape from a loveless marriage. In Jonet, he finds passion and real love. That she has two wonderful sons he was sent to tutor, but soon comes to care for deeply just makes Jonet's attraction that much harder to ignore. There's a nifty mystery in this book as well. While seasoned mystery readers may identify the culprit early on, I did not, and greatly appreciated the building tension, sexual and otherwise! Fans of MY FALSE HEART will be happy to learn that Ms. Carlyle is not a "one hit wonder." If you like your romances sweet, A WOMAN SCORNED is probably not for you. If you like them hot, then this novel is right up your alley.

After reading "My False Heart" by Liz Carlyle, I couldn't wait for her second book to come out. It does not disappoint. It is a story of a man and a woman who are destined to be together despite many obstacles.

I fell in love with Cole. He's respectable - not a "rake" or a "rogue." He is the nephew of Jonet's brother-in-law, James. James suspects that Jonet poisoned his brother and wants Cole to spy on her and report back to him. Hence, Cole is hired to tutor Jonet's two young sons and moves into her house - and the attraction is immediate.

Jonet is a very strong heroine. There are many evil goings-on in her house. Someone is trying to bring harm to her two small sons but she will protect them at all costs. Cole is witness to this evil first-hand and joins with Jonet in protecting his two young charges.

This book is first-rate. You will find yourself really becoming involved with the characters, primary and secondary. This is one of those books that will make you want to stay home from work so that you can read it, uninterrupted. It is a book you will find humorous, mysterious and erotic - it has it all. Do yourself a favor and read it.

I tried very very hard to find this book after I read A woman of Virtue - and I am so glad i did. I only wish I could have read this first - it really sets one up well to understand the dynamics of David and Jonet. Unfortunately I read Virtue first so too much was known for me. However, that in no way could spoil what was one of the best books I have read recently. I would not have expected Cole, a military, scholarly man to have so much passion. Oh yes he tried to contain it but Jonet was not to be ignored. And the slow natural build up of these two sparring and not trusting yet one step at a time getting to know one another - it really made for such a realistic passion when it finally does occur. And please anyone that criticizes the scene some have called soft bondage - that is so totally not true. Cole had felt so seduced by Jonet each and every time and she did seem to be directing the relationship more than he - so since he had finally decided to give in to their future he just wanted to let her know that things would not always be totally HER WAY!! And by this time was not the reticent Cole not to die for in the bedroom! I loved this book - the mystery of who the evil person was - was not obvious at all and kept that question throughout. Of course the mystery of Jonet and David was quite a major plot to the story also. And both Jonet and Cole even though they seemed so opposite truly did complete each other. She made him a less orderly man, made him exciting and finally he was able to let out all of his pent up passion! And Cole gave Jonet what she truly wanted more than anything - a normal life full of true love and of course a great father to her 2 sons. I cannot give this book enough stars - the only problem unless it is rereleased many will not be able to find it!! Keep looking though it will be worth the read!!

This is not Ms. Carlyle's best romance...her best is The Devil You Know, which is really quite spectacular. But I'm just writing a review to say that it does *not* have S&M in it, only light bondage. There's one scene in which he ties her up and talks dirty to her and she loves it. Whether you love reading about it is another issue, but anyway, it's not S&M.

Oh my, my! Once again Ms. Carlyle proves her books are not for the faint of heart! The suspense in this one kept me up till 3 a.m. and the passion about melted the paint off my walls. Thank heaven this book is no trite, over-romanticized love story. If you only read sweet fantasy stories with virginal heroines (and I sometimes do) then move on, because this book is about real love, in all its complexity, depth, and passion. Like her other book, which I also loved, the prose is rich and descriptive. You see and feel what the characters see and feel. And to my shock (pleasently!) the hero is a strong, hunky, and extremely devout christian, who is striving to be a better person. And yes, the sexual tension still sizzles. The heroine is strong, brave, and always in control, (well almost always, she was a woman in love and like most of us strong women, the men we love can always melt our control). Speaking as a woman, I felt So wonderfully empowered after reading this book, I gave it to my teenage daughter.

I can see where this book may have taken some readers by surprise. Carlyle pulls no punches while her protagonists examine their own emotions, and the characters are honest in their needs. I do think the sex scenes have been misunderstood by the reviewers who were offended by them. Cole and Jonet engage in some very active loveplay, and at one point, as Jonet is trying to help Cole exorcise painful memories, they indulge in some passionate bondage, but it is never degrading. At all points, the question of domination does not control. While Cole claims he is going to do what HE wants to Jonet, and states he wants her to "learn a little obedience", this worrisome dialog is countered by his complete failure to keep a straight face a few paragraphs later, when he can't help but laugh as he says "At least-- at least once in a while...Oh bloody hell, ...Who am I kidding?" They give and take pleasure as equals, and it is ALWAYS threaded through with something more, something deeper than the lust they both readily admit they feel. I DID find it easy to believe these two LOVED each other, because they were the answer to each other's deepest emotional needs. And while Jonet's behavior was often shrewish, it was well-explained by the edge upon which she teetered. Her remorse afterward, and her scenes of touching care and kindness more than made up for her tantrums. I read voraciously, and fell in love with this book, and these characters. I liked Carlyle's previous book, and now look forward to her next one. A Woman Scorned is a treasure, to be enjoyed.

Captain Cole Amherst had been destined for the church, but events in his past led him to join the Army in the Peninsula. Now after several years, he is back in England gathering the courage to face his past. Jonet Rowland was a scorned woman after her late and not so lamented husband went to his great reward. All the ton and her brother-in-law assumed that she had poisoned the late Lord Mercer, but could not prove it. So her brother-in-law sent his former ward, Captain Amherst to spy upon Lady Mercer in the disguise as tutor for her young children. Captain Amherst went to Lady Mercer's abode for reasons he couldn't readily define, for he rather disliked his former guardian, but he soon became captivated by the beautiful, arrogant and indomitable Lady Mercer and the intrigue that surrounded her house. It seems that the murderer was not quite satisfied with the one life that had already been taken... In a house where no one can be trusted, Captain Amherst must determine who is the murderer and even more important who must be protected.

What follows is a well-written tale about two people that find love and and the ability to heal old wounds despite the treachery that abounds around them. This is the first novel I have read by Ms. Carlyle and I will not hesitate to try another. Her style is slighlty different than the usual regency/historical writers, and I found this very refreshing. Also, I've never read an historical where the hero is a very devout and religious gentleman whose real goal in life is to be a vicar. It provides quite a great break from all those novels about reforming rakes and libertines. And of course, I love the heroine because she is a very strong character who is not afraid to go after what she wants; her character is a great foil for the reserved Captain Amherst.

I would recommend this book to all readers. As I said, it is both refreshing and novel in its writing style and character choice. I couldn't put it down.