Customer Reviews

Yours Until Dawn (Special Avon Printing)

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

On the basis that I've rather enjoyed the last two romance novels by Teresa Medeiros, she's almost become an "I-have-to-read-her-latest" with me. And halfway into the first chapter, I knew that my instincts to read "Yours Until Dawn" at once was sound: it was a good and worthwhile read. The plot may be a much used one, but Ms Medeiros' take on this old storyline was enjoyable, satisfying and almost unique.

Handsome beyond permission, charming and exceedingly rich, Gabriel Fairchild was, once, a much sought after bachelor. But that was before he was blinded and scarred in battle, and before he was abandoned by both his family and the young woman he adored. Now, the proud and bitter young man lives in darkness and seclusion at his country estate, alone (save for his servants), and taking out his anger on harmless pieces of furniture and china. But all that changes when his father hires a new nurse to help him cope with his blindness. Prim and capable Samantha Wickersham knew that she had her work cut out for her. After all it cannot be easy for a young and vital young man, used to leading an active life, to have to cope with blindness. But she hadn't counted on the amount of anger and bitterness that Gabriel would feel. Or that he had put all good manners and civilized behaviour behind him and was now leading the life of an arrogant barbarian. But if Gabriel thought that he could chase his latest nurse away with bad manners and curses, he didn't know Samantha at all. Determined to help Gabriel cope with his blindness and to show him that he can still lead a full and vital life, Samantha vows not to allow Gabriel to get the better of her. And so the battle of wills begins. Who will win? The arrogant and bitter young lord or his patient and determined nurse?

The storyline of "Yours Until Dawn" is actually a much used one -- a young nurse appears to help the wounded beast-hero, and in the process tames and wins his heart. And while "Yours Until Dawn" doesn't depart very much from this basic format, what I liked about it, aside from Ms Meideiros' clever way of engaging my interest from the very beginning and making me care for both Gabriel and Samantha and for their happily ever-after ending, was the fact that the authour took the time and effort to map out the clash of wills between Gabriel and Samantha and to chart the developing romance between the two in a credible and believable manner. That's what made "Yours Until Dawn" a stellar read. Magical, passionate and touching (though not in a cringingly syrupy way) , "Yours Until Dawn" was a very enjoyable and satisfying read, and truly worthy of a 5 star rating.

Gabriel was blinded in battle while fighting for his country and becomes a bitter man living as a hermit with his servants. Samantha becomes his nurse to try to help him cope with his blindness. They fight and bicker, but most of the time it's enduring. Both characters have moments of amusing childishness and annoying selfishness but the story is solid and there are some really sweet moments. Watching Gabriel struggle with his blindness and seeing the unbelievable patience Samantha had with him was heartwarming.

Yours Until Dawn had such wonderful promises. For over three-fourths of the book I was hanging onto every sentence, every word, just waiting to see what would happen. Then, complete and utter disappointment.

Up until around page 259 this book had a 4.5 star rating written all over it. Then it seem to just abruptly end and become a completely different story with a different plot and different characters with the same name. Samantha's surprise didn't make any sense whatsoever. It was all pointless.

Gabriel's "recovery", while good news, was disappointing. I felt as if the author had to 'fix' him before a real relationship could form with him and Samantha. I felt as if that implied there was something wrong with him to start with. His parents had treated him like an invalid and they never did completely accept his blindness, but they were the most doting parents when everything worked out! It just felt hollow.

Samantha. Good grief. The most horrible woman I have ever read. Selfish and cruel and way too bossy. She had "too little, too late" written all over her and I felt that Gabriel was a complete idiot for staying with her. She loved him, left him, then loved him, and left him. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the beta heroes. The all-around nice guys who aren't domineering and cruel but in the end Gabriel seem whipped. He didn't even get angry when he found out her little secret. But his letter to her at the end was very well written and so very sweet. I just wished it had been written for someone else.

I understand rabid fans will not like critical reviews and will most likely give this a low rating, but trust me. If you MUST read this book, then please stop at the weak 'plot-twist' and just make up your own ending.

I've been an avid reader of romance since I was thirteen. (No, it wasn't all THAT long ago, but long enough!) That being said, I've read a LOT of books, and I've seen the whole spectrum from the stinkers to the sensational. Lately, I was starting to despair of ever reading a good romance again, as I seemed to be finding only the stinkers.

Then I read this book, and it blew me away! It had me wondering why on earth it took me so many years to discover this author. She was absolutely amazing! When I read the back cover description, I thought this would just be another "Beauty and the Beast" story, but it was so much more than that. A truly talented author is one who can take an old plot and make it fresh and interesting. Medeiros does it in this winner.

Both the hero and the heroine were people you could cheer for. Samantha had just the right balance of the "tough love" with Gabriel while still knowing when the soft touch was needed. And while he was a suffering hero, he was so much more than just the stereotypical handsome brooding man. Many men in his situation end up being so annoying that you want to smack them one. With Gabriel, he had just enough angst without being overly melancholic--he didn't stay stuck in his sorrow for long. I really felt like I knew the characters. I felt their emotions deeply, and got tears in my eyes when they were torn apart.

And the secondary characters were wonderful as well. The author made them well-rounded, loveable people without focusing so much on them that they distracted from the main plot.

While I could see the plot twist coming before it was revealed (I'm not going to give it away), it did not detract from my enjoyment of the book at all.

I devoured this novel in a day. For a speedreader who reads 200+ novels a year, finding a "can't put it down" book is rare. But I had to stay up late until the wee hours finishing this. I knew I'd never sleep until it was done.

This was the kind of book that you can't stop reading, yet you'll feel sad when it's over, simply because there's nothing more to read. It's also a book that you'll close and immediately press to your heart with a smile on your face before putting it on your keeper shelf. I don't give out many five star ratings (I find far more books that I don't like than ones I like), but this book really earned it. I will be looking for more books by this author, as she is wonderful - right up there with Mary Jo Putney, Jacquie D'alessandro, and Mary Balogh.

Ms. Medeiros delievers yet again with her latest historical set in England in the early 1800's. This was a sweet read with great chemistry between the two main characters Gabriel and Samantha.

Gabriel was wounded during the a battle that took Admiral Nelson's life aboard the "Victory". Left blind he returns home a "hero" in the eyes of many, but a monster in his own blind eyes. Living as a beast in his own country estate he has vowed never to let sunlight touch his face again. Little does he know his life is about to change for the better with the help of his new, but determined nurse Samantha Wickersham.

Samantha arrives at Fairchild Park knowing that her job won't be easy, but determined not to fail. She has a secret that won't let her fail. What she doesn't count on are the strong feelings that Gabriel brings out in her heart. Still, despite Gabriel's surly nature she starts to bring sunlight back into Gabriel's and maybe just a little bit of magic as well into her own.

Together they realize that sometimes you have to look beyond what's right in front of you to what's really there. Can a strong love grow from a certain tragedy?

This was a very sweet romance that was a pleasure to read. Ms. Medeiros latest offering will touch on all of your emotions and will bring the reader both tears and laughter. This was not a sensual read, but rather a sweet and romantic read. There are plenty of twists and turns as well as a secret that Samantha has that helps drive the plot of the story. This is a read that I highly recommend.

Loved this book! It was fun, sensual, full of wit & sweet. Sam and Gabriel were well matched. I did not feel cheated. I repeat, I DID NOT FEEL CHEATED by the ending whatsoever! Many times I will read a book, while being greatly satisfying, am a little disappointed with the ending of it. Not so with Yours Until Dawn. It was great all the way!!!
Teresa Medeiros has been a favorite of mine since her first book. I've read them all. Her last one(One Night of Scandal)was alittle disappointing for me but she really made up for it with this one. Selfish aren't I. I just expect the best out of Ms. Medeiros and she delivered with this one. She ranks up there with Christina Dodd, Connie Brockway,Sabrina Jeffries, Laura Lee Guhrke, just to mention a few. Auto-buy for me. Read it in just one morning. Get it.
Any way you can
(Sorry amazon, I order books thru the library)

I love beauty and the beast themed novels, so the idea of a woman nursing a blind war hero back to the land of the living was wonderful. I loved that he learned to deal with his disablity while falling in love with the heroine. Then bam! The whole plot switches. It was almost like two different books. I can't go into too much with out giving everthing away, but everything that was presented a certain way was not actually true. The hero claims to love the heroine but lusts after a woman he says he hates, while loving heroine.(This will make sense if you read it) I adored the first half of the book. It was shaping up to be one of my all time favorites. Then the author makes you second guess who the characters really are. Do we really know them after all? The author also took the easy way out with the heroes disability. Overall, this book is worth reading from the library but not worthy of paying for. I wish I had just skipped the last 40 pages. Even though it ended happily it left a bad taste in my mouth.

This is the second book I've read by Teresa Medeiros- I think I have a new favorite author. As you can see, there's not as much detail in the reviews for this one, because there's quite a twist in the story line- which, if revealed, would kinda ruin the read. Several reviewers have said it's kind of an old plot line, but I think Medeiros really adds enough to make it her own. Gabriel saves Samantha's life, and Samantha saves Gabriel's. It seems simple enough, but Samantha isn't the typical timid mouse you come to expect from the women in these kind of romances, she's strong willed, and able to put Gabriel in his place, matching his banter tit for tat. Samantha's brave enough to deliver Gabriel's mother,a prestigious member of the ton, a scalding rebuke (better than even a slap in the face, because his mother thinks she's just his nurse), without batting an eyelash. You think it can't get any better, and then BAM! Medeiros busts out with a very unexpected plot twist. It was a solid historical romance by, I think, a very accomplished writer. A MUST READ!

This was the first book I read from Teresa Medeiros, and I loved it so much that I've since read several more of hers. I know other readers have said this isn't her best work, but I found all of her others disappointing in comparison to this one.

This was the first of her heroines that I really liked. Her other stories were pretty good, and very sweet, but the females tended to grate on my nerves. Not so in "Yours Until Dawn." I enjoyed how the heroine was neither "in your face" or meek. She spirited/spunky without being precocious and immature.

I have always been partial to Beauty and the Beast stories, which probably explains why I enjoyed this so much. The "obvious twist" that others referred to wasn't terribly obvious to me, although in hindsight I suppose it was pretty silly of me to miss what was going on. Nonetheless, it was a pleasent surprise that added to the Beauty and the Beast tale rather than detracting from it.

I would definetly recommend this book. It's rare for me to pick up an unfamiliar author and be so thoroughly charmed, so perhaps I'd suggest this book most for those not familiar with Medeiros' other works. I thought this to be better than her other stories, but if you're a diehard fan of her books, you might not enjoy this one as much as it read a bit differently.

"Will you still love me when those lips are puckered not in passion, but with age? Will you love me when my eyes are faded, but my affections for you undimmed?"

Maybe it's because I've been reading so many Regencies lately, and they tend to all read alike after awhile, but "Yours Until Dawn" is a Regency that really stands out from the crowd. The writing, is as usual for Teresa Medeiros, really beautiful, the story is one that has been done before, but this one is done better, with a different twist, and in general, is a different kind of story, for someone who is looking for something different set in a Regency era.

I have to admit that I was hesitant about this book to start. I always love Teresa Medeiros, she writes beautifully, but I was a little worried about the "blind hero" theme, since I don't generally like a sad story, plus I find it rare that an author can do this realistically and still make a romance. I needn't have worried. This was not only realistically done, but beautifully done as well, with just the right blend of sweet and sour, funny and sad, for a beautiful and heartwarming read, and a story that stays with you long after you turn the last page.

I even liked all the plot twists (look, you have to make it a little different to make it interesting), and I even liked the ending. Sure, it's a little too much happily-ever-after - but this is make believe, not real life, after all - and we all need an unbelievable, too-good-to-be-true ending for our forays into dream world.

Although when this book starts off it seems like it will be a re-make of Beauty and the Beast, there is a twist to this story that turns the original story and stands it on its head. I have noticed that Ms. Medeiros generally does use fairy tales as her starting point for many of her stories, but this story does go into it's own direction, this is without a doubt an original story, and beautifully written as well.

I absolutely recommend this book, without any reservations, with "Yours Until Dawn" I think Teresa Medeiros has written her best book yet. So if you like Regencies, or if you like this author, you will definitely *love* this book. I can't recommend this book highly enough, it's a gem in every way. Thank you, Ms. Medeiros!

This has been my favorite Medeiros book so far! She captures your interest from the very first page. I won't take the time to outline the plot since others have done such a good job of it, but I will say that it has some twists that will pleasantly surprise the reader. I highly recommend this book because of its originality and absence of formulaic characters. Ms. Medeiros characters breathe with life and don't spout any prosaic nonsense. They have life and vitality and earn the readers sympathy in every book of hers that I have read. What sets this one apart is its original and creative premise. I thought that it would be resolved in a trite manner, but I was pleasantly surprised by the plot twists and its conclusion. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a happy ending.