Goddess of the Hunt (Mass Market Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Dare's sparkling Regency romance debut introduces a cunning and instantly likable tomboy heroine. Lucy Waltham has been besotted with her brother's friend Toby since she was 11. Now 19 and determined to get Toby away from ladylike, well-dowried Sophia, Lucy decides to practice seduction techniques on another family friend, Jeremy Trescott, earl of Kendall and 10 years her senior. Their innocent trysts become a sizzling affair that leads abruptly to the altar, after which Lucy must use all her considerable wit and intelligence to transform herself into a countess without ever losing the wild spirit that Jeremy finds both daunting and delightful. Dare seems to have fit all the best of romance into one novel, from sensuous interludes and crafty humor to endearing multidimensional characters. Readers will eagerly anticipate the two sequels due in the fall. (Aug.)
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Review

“The sweetest, sexiest romance you’ll read all year.”—Eloisa James


“From the time Toby Aldridge had whimsically crowned her Goddess of the Hunt, 11-year-old Lucy Waltham had adored him. Now, eight years later, with Toby intending to propose to someone else, naïve Lucy boldly plans to seduce him but needs practice—and an ally. Who better than her emotionally chilly best friend, Jeremy Trescott, Earl of Kendall, to make Toby jealous? This is an exceptional debut novel, from the first hilarious “practice” session to the gradual melting of Jem’s outward reserve and ­Lucy’s maturing realization of whom she really loves. A beautifully crafted tale that captivates with sassy wit, a lush, sweetly intense sensuality, and an abundance of beautifully articulated, appealing characters.”—Library Journal

“A daring debut…Dare is on the path to stardom.”—Romantic Times

“Debut author Tessa Dare bursts upon the scene with a high-energy and high-drama romance. She tells the story with provocative words and feverish action. Her cast of secondary characters is unforgettable and set the stage for the next book in this back-to-back series.”—Fresh Fiction

“Highly original… Tessa Dare is an author to watch!”—Romance Reader’s Connection

“I fell in love with Goddess of the Hunt and Tessa Dare from the very first page! Goddess of the Hunt is a romantic delight sure to satisfy every reader." —Teresa Medeiros


From the Paperback edition. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1st Edition/1st Printing edition (July 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345506863
• ISBN-13: 978-0345506863
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,692 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Historical Debut, July 29, 2009

By	P. Ausdenmore "pjbookluvr" (South Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Every year there seems to be one debut author who bursts upon the scene and absolutely knocks my socks off with her superb writing skill. This year, that author is Tessa Dare. In her debut book, GODDESS OF THE HUNT, Dare showcases her command of the English language with exquisite prose that sings across the pages with a lyrical quality that is a joy to read. Her characters are so vividly drawn that they practically leap from the pages and her story unerringly hits all the right notes.

Irrepressible Lucy Waltham has fancied herself in love with Sir Toby since the tender age of eleven, when her older brother's friend dubbed her his "Diana, Goddess of the Hunt". She has bided her time, knowing in her heart that one day Toby would awaken to his real feelings for her, but now, eight years later, her brother's friends have arrived for their annual gathering and, for the first time, Toby is exhibiting a serious interest in someone. Lucy has no choice but to seduce him and show him that she is the woman of his dreams and the one he is meant to marry, not Miss Sophia Hathaway. Unfortunately for Lucy, she has never even been kissed but she has a book that explains everything. All she needs now is someone with whom to practice.

Jeremy Trescott has always treasured his visits to Waltham Manor, the home of his good friend, Henry Waltham. It's the only place where he has ever been able to relax and be himself. Growing up with parents who showed neither love nor appreciation for their son, Jeremy learned to close off his emotions years ago. In truth, the only person who has ever been able to get a rise out of him is Lucy, his friend's exasperating younger sister and in Jeremy's own words, his "personal version of a biblical plague." Now she shows up at his bedroom door in the middle of the night with the crazy idea that she is going to seduce Toby...after honing her skills with him! If only she wasn't proving to be such a fast learner.

I have always enjoyed the "brother's best friend" storyline and I was intrigued by Dare's unique spin on the concept. Lucy does indeed fall for her brother's friend, just not the one that she, and everyone else, expected. But the self admission of her feelings isn't the end of this story but, rather, the beginning of the second half of the book for her greatest challenge, winning Jeremy's love, is still to be achieved and this is one hero who doesn't make it easy.

That perhaps is Dare's greatest talent as a writer. Aside from the scintillating banter, the lovely, lyrical prose, the humor and angst of young and unrequited love, this is an author who made me care about her characters - all of her characters. I highly recommend GODDESS OF THE HUNT. The next two books in this trilogy, SURRENDER OF A SIREN and A LADY OF PERSUASION will be released August 25th and September 29th, respectively. I'll be counting the days!

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful Historical Romance (A- Grade), July 28, 2009

By	C. Garrabrant "Katiebabs" (Bloomfield, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

Delightful, sweet and sexy are only a few words that come to mind when I finished reading Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare. This is Tessa's first book and I applaud her for writing a lovely historical romance with the witty dialogue and lush descriptions of the setting and the character's thoughts. I am not a big fan of long descriptive paragraphs, but with Goddess of the Hunt, all my senses were engaged. I wanted this book to go on and on because it was that good.

Goddess of the Hunt has one of the best openings I have read in awhile. A young man wakes up in the middle of the night because of a knock at his bedroom door. Thinking it is an emergency he opens it and is kissed by a female. The female is Lucy Waltham. Jeremy Trescott, the Earl of Kendall has known Lucy forever because he is friends with the family. He has been invited to stay at Waltham Manor for an annual sporting holiday. Jeremy is befuddled not only because he has been accosted in the middle of the night, but Lucy can't kiss for anything. The reason Lucy is kissing Jeremy is because she needs practice. She wants to seduce Toby, another lord staying at the Manor who is friends with Jeremy and Lucy's older brother Henry. Toby is practically engaged to a Miss Sophia Hathaway. Lucy has always had a crush on Toby and wants to stop the engagement. She thinks is she can seduce Toby, he will jilt Miss Hathaway and marry her instead.

Jeremy finds Lucy to be a silly, immature girl. She has no sense of decorum and does whatever she wants. This belief is in part because he feels like an older brother to her. Jeremy doesn't want Lucy's heart to get broken, but she is such a headstrong girl. Lucy can't help but tease Jeremy and he gives Lucy a kiss that will change the dynamics of their relationship.

Lucy is very set on the course she has in order to gain Toby's affections. But since Toby also has known her as Jeremy has, she has to change the way she does things. She will try to be a bit more like Miss Hathaway so Toby can love the new Lucy. Jeremy can see what she is doing and for some reason he doesn't like Lucy to pretend to be someone she's not. His opinion of Lucy begins to change. Gone is the gangly hoyden and thorn in his side as he always thought her to be. Now Lucy has become an enigma to him. All he wants to do is kiss her and touch her even though she believes she is in love with another man. Jeremy is now on a mission to make Lucy see that Toby will never be hers and he will use his own seductive techniques to change her mind. Lucy will not be convinced with words, so Jeremy will have to use his mouth in other ways to make Lucy see reason.

Jeremy's talented ways with his hands and mouth confuse Lucy. She enjoys these intimacies but she is so set on Toby. Things between Jeremy and Lucy are building to the point where Jeremy has no choice but to claim Lucy through marriage. They both thinkthis is a big mistake, but Lucy is the one who will try to make it work between them. Unfortunately something from Jeremy's past makes him place up a wall between them. Jeremy should know that Lucy will not allow Jeremy to walk all over her and become cold to the point where she will reject him. First she was on the hunt for another man but now that she has Jeremy she will do whatever she can to make him see she is worthy of his love and he can trust her with his heart and all those imperfections he feels about himself that he keeps bottled up inside.

Goddess of the Hunt is a darling historical romance and quite the feat for Tessa Dare. She had me hooked from page one with the innocent Lucy practicing her kissing with Jeremy. I am more of a fan of the hero in the books I read, but with Goddess of the Hunt it was all about Lucy. She may seem innocent in her thinking but Lucy can be sly at times but in an endearing way. Everything she does is in good faith. She is not cruel or heartless. Lucy is someone you would love to have over for tea and call your friend. Jeremy is a bit tortured, but his issues didn't take away from the overall enjoyment in the story. His and Lucy's interactions are nice and steamy.

Count me as a Tessa Dare fan. I will not be surprised in the least becomes a best selling author. She is the beginning of a great roster of historical authors to come and one with great promise.

Katiebabs

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh My Oh My Oh My...., October 23, 2009

By	babs "babs" (Dacula, GA USA) - See all my reviews

Who in the world is Tessa Dare and where has she been all my life?!

"Goddess of The Hunt" had me hooked from page one. I cringed every time I knew I had to put this one down, and I hated the fact that my eyes betrayed me at night when I'd fall asleep trying to read it. I don't see a "Best-Seller" on the cover yet, but I promise if this lady keeps writing books like this she's going to be the next Julia Quinn (the old, not the new one).

Pages 115-128 holds the most intense, steam building, mouth hanging open loves scenes I think I've EVER read. Just do me favor...when your at the bookstore and your not sure about buying this book, flip to these pages...you will not put this one back down.

Just a taste of what I'm talking about...this scene takes place in a wardrobe, after Jeremy finds her during a game of hide-and-seek. The only light inside is just few rays of sunshine pushing their way through the cracks...

"...He kissed his way back up her neck and brought his hands to the neckline of her dress, gathering the facbric of muslin until it threatened to tear. Then her tongue flicked a silent plea against his ear, so lightly he might have imagined it, once.

Twice, he could not mistake.

...Then her hands slid around the his back, and she leaned against his chest. She brushed her lips over the base of his throat. Again. Again. Her kisses felt like rain drops in a desert, sizzling on his scorched flesh. He bent his head and his mouth found hers. And then the storm broke..."

I am not kidding ladies...you will/could not read this and not think "Oh good Lord!". This novel has the right balance of everything and you will absolutely love every character...My "All-Time Favorites" list has just gained a book!