Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith (Cover Image May Vary)

Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith (Cover Image May Vary)
Average customer rating:

Wonderful approach

What a refreshing book...

Fresh perspectives on ancient concepts

Velvet Elvis, Contorting an analogy

Rob Bell modern Christian
Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith (Cover Image May Vary)
Rob Bell
Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith

ASIN: 0310273080

Book Description

God never changes, nor do the central truths of Christianity. But our understanding of those truths is in constant flux. Christians will always be exploring and discovering what it means to live in harmony with God and each other. Now in softcover, Velvet Elvis offers original and refreshingly personal perspectives on what Christianity is really about.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful approach.......2007-10-09

This is a fascinating approach to expanding the minds of those who approach the Christian Faith from the point of view that a text has a literal meaning and no interpretation is necessary, or even that interpretation would be contrary to the true meaning of a text. It speaks to those who are not familiar with Saint Thomas Aquinas' response to the question "Whether Scripture should use Metaphors?" (http://www.newadvent.org/summa/1001.htm#9) RB does a masterful job bringing up wonderful examples of questions that lead to a more reflective understanding of the nature of reading and the meaning of a text - specifically in this case the Bible. For teachers often frustrated by such a task, though the rewards are wonderful, this book may be a great resource. RB's experience as a Pastor clearly show in the approach, the very structure of the book, and the conclusions he reaches.

What a refreshing book..........2007-10-09

"Just because I'm a Christian and I'm trying to articulate a Christian worldview doesn't mean I've got it nailed. I'm contributing to the discussion. God has spoken, and the rest is commentary, right?" Rob Bell commands the attention of his readers, even down to the blip on the back of the book. He encourages his readers to look at the Christian faith a little differently, from biblical history that describes Jesus as a real person to ideas of the Christian individual's role as a witness, with the environment, and in the church. Bell does not ask the reader to agree with him; in fact, he begs that the reader test and probe what he says. "Don't swallow it uncritically. Think about it. Wrestle with it." I just love that Bell is so humble--that he offers a lot of truth in the book, yet begs the reader to question it. It's time for the true Christianity to step forward. People like Rob Bell, who know they don't have it all right but keep at it, are the people who are leading the pack.

Fresh perspectives on ancient concepts.......2007-09-24

Rob Bell does an excellent job applying ancient concepts from early Christianity and Judaism to our modern world. Whereas many recent works on Christian spirituality fall short in substance, Velvet Elvis is strengthened by Bell's scriptural grounding and historical contexting.

For example, my favorite part of the book was the chapter on the significance of Christ's call to "follow me." Bell highlights how rare it was to be worthy of a rabbi asking you to follow him - you basically had to be in the MENSA of Talmud interpreters. In contrast, Christ invites mere fishermen to follow him. Thus, when Christ invites average people like us, he is showing the same confidence in us as the rabbis showed in their selected followers.

By placing in its proper context a portion of scripture that I had previously overlooked, Bell helped shed fresh, new light on my faith. Bell uses this new light to reenforce his ideas on what the church should like today.

I recommend this to both Christians and non-Christians alike. Bell may convince you that following Christ is actually much different than what you had assumed. I know he did for me.

Velvet Elvis, Contorting an analogy.......2007-09-21

I find a number of subtle and sometimes obvious faults in this book that make it dangerous. Throughout the book, particularly in the first few chapters, Mr. Bell makes a number of analogies which he contorts, stretches and forces. The most notable analogy relates to the velvet Elvis itself. It is never quite clear what the velvet Elvis typifies. On pages 10 and 11, one can surmise either Jesus, the Christian faith or the church. However, in the last paragraph on page 11 he states that Luther "never stopped rethinking and repainting the faith."

On the next page, Mr. Bell states that "I embrace the need to keep painting... I mean theology: the beliefs about God, Jesus, the Bible, salvation, the future. We must keep reforming the way the Christian faith is defined, lived, and explained." Whereas, I would agree that culturally, over the years and centuries adaptations and changes needed to be made -- specifically, with the outward appearance of dress and hair style and the place of women in the church. (Actually, in different parts of the world, culturally different practices continue to be used. Christian women in the Middle East and in some parts of the United States still wear head covering.) The basic tenets and faith principles have not been changed only rediscovered, and reapplied. Hebrews 6:1-3

On page 14, the statement is made "but this book is for those who need a fresh take on Jesus and what it means to live the kind of life he teaches us to live... this pursuit of Jesus is leading us backward as much as forward." To this I say: 1. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever. 2. Growing from faith to faith does not imply that faith is being replaced but rather implies an increase in faith. The mustard seed is growing. 3. The church needs to change -- not God's Word or Jesus. Several times throughout his text and even on the back cover Rob Bell states "God has spoken, and the rest is commentary, right?" God's Word is inexorable and unchanging.

A number of senseless and vague statements are made throughout his text. On the surface they give a pretense of being deep but are rather nebulous, incongruous and convoluted. In chapter 1 on page 21 he states "Jesus' intention was, and is, to call people to live in tune with reality." (!?) Next he develops the analogy of springs on a trampoline and compares these to the doctrines of Christian faith. He contrasts this with what he claims is current theology that the Christian faith is inflexible and is like a brick that is fixed in size which "can't flex or change size because if it does then it can't fit into the wall." It seems to me that we're talking about a foundation upon which we can build the church or our faith and which needs to be unshakeable so that no storm can topple it. Sand certainly flexes and changes but does not make a good foundation. This is another example of him forcing an analogy and getting into trouble. Many of his statements thus far are too cutesy and contrived! -- done for sex appeal and to force interest and controversy.

Later he makes the statement that seems to imply that the creator, God the Father, is the painting. However, all that can be known of God is revealed in his son and his son is the true painting (what can be seen of the father) and can be visualized better by some them by others. On page 26 he states "what if tomorrow someone digs up definitive proof that Jesus had a real, earthly, biological father named Larry, and archaeologists find Larry's tomb and do DNA samples and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the virgin birth was really just a bit of mythologizing the Gospel...?"

To this I say -- what if the moon is made of green cheese? Why ask the question in the first place?

What if the Christian faith is that solid and that unique in that it is formed on bricks and not a trampoline? All the questions asked on page 28 and 29 are peripheral to the issue and are often used by unbelievers as an excuse to not take the final step of faith. We have all been taught as Christians and soul winners to listen to these arguments but to deflect them and get to the main issue which is what are you going to do with Jesus? His statement on page 30 "questions, no matter how shocking or blasphemous or arrogant or ignorant or raw, are rooted in humility" is pure baloney. At the bottom of the page he states "maybe that is what God is looking for -- people who don't just sit there and mindlessly accept whatever comes their way."

The Christian faith is a foundation not a trampoline. I would rather have a brick foundation than a trampoline for a foundation. It is interesting that in forcing and stretching his analogy he finally states that he is too exhausted to jump anymore and finally just "lies down on the mat and stares up at the vast blue sky above us." This is resting in your faith and in a firm foundation.

In chapter 2 on page 46 he makes the statement "once again, the Bible is open ended. It has to be interpreted." Interpreted by the Holy Spirit -- not by man. On page 48 he makes the statement that a rabbi may find "a new way to understand the Scriptures that was closer to what God intended than the way of the rabbis who had come before him." These are new truths and not new understandings of the truth.

On page 50, "giving the keys of the kingdom" was not Jesus giving authority to make new interpretations of the Bible but was for binding and loosing people who were enslaved that he might set the captives free. Page 55, second paragraph, he states "the Bible has to be interpreted. Decisions have to be made about what it means now, today." To this I say that many passages are not open to interpretation because with many passages there is no cultural or background bias.

I find it interesting that Mr. Bell uses analogies endlessly to make points but then objects to others using analogies. On page 62 he finds issue three paragraphs from the bottom with those who use the Bible-as-owners-manual metaphor.

He makes the comment that the Bible is "alive today" and then on page 63 he states that "it is a book of ancient narratives. We cannot make it something it is not." The details given in the Bible may be at times very specific but the truths are transcendent and not subject to interpretation.

On page 64 he states that John in writing his Gospel "has an agenda." To this I would say that it is God who has the agenda and directs John to inform us about it.

On page 65, third paragraph, he states "the Bible has the authority it does only because it contained stories about people interacting with the God who has all authority." The authority of the Scriptures does not come from being based in current events. If this were the case, the Koran and books in other religions would have the same authority. Further down he states "the authority is God who is acting in and through these people at that time and now these people at this time." The authority comes from the fact that it is the Word of God. The Bible does not imitate current events, current events mimic the Bible. Being contemporaneous does not equal authenticity. On page 66 he states that the "Bible tells a story. A story that isn't over. A story that is still being told. A story that we have a part to play in." To this I say that stories are only a small part of the Bible. Further down on this page he makes the remarkable and dangerous statement "the people who eventually wrote all of this down weren't sitting there with their hand and a pen moving as if controlled by some outside force. The writers of the Bible had agendas." God had the agenda -- Luke and John were just obedient.

In chapter 3 he really goes off the deep end. Here we go into the New Age philosophy which he so obviously espouses. On page 74 he asked the question in the first line "and is that something actually someone?" This statement was made after saying that he felt close to God when being out in nature and experiencing touchy-feely sensations. These experiences made him aware that there was something bigger in this universe. Does this mean that someone who does not know God can experience him? On page 77 he states that "the whole earth is full of the weight and significance of who God is." On page 80 he states "I claim and affirm the truth whenever I find it." Truth found in the world is not equivalent to truth found in the Bible. On page 81 he states "truth is available to everyone." I agree, Satan quoted scripture. In the final paragraph on this page he states "Jesus said, I am the way the truth and the life. If you come across truth in any form it isn't outside your faith as a Christian. Your faith just got bigger. To be a Christian is to claim truth wherever you find it." Does this mean there is Truth in Buddhism, Islam and Hindu? Jesus said he was The Truth not a truth.

On page 83, in the middle of the page he states "for Jesus then, the point of religion is to help us connect with ultimate reality, God." Jesus is the one who provides the pathway -- The Way -- to God through forgiveness of sins.

At the top of the page 85 he states "he is teaching people to live as Christians, and then whatever they do will be sacred, holy work. Music already is worship. Music is praise. Music is sacred. Music is good." Music can be worship, praise, sacred and good. I think we are seeing some of Rob Bell's agenda in this statement. It is obvious that he used his background as a musician as a springboard and this probably has a lot to do with his success within his church. Parenthetically, I must say this last statement is conjecture on my part.

Page 86, middle of the page, he states "the Bible is filled with stories of God teaching people how to think. How to discern. How to sort and sift and figure out what is true and what isn't. What is good and what isn't. What brings life and what brings death." With this statement, he makes the claim that we are exclusively to work out our own salvation without the benefit of redemption or forgiveness of sins. On page 88, he states "so the issue isn't so much taking Jesus to people who don't have him, but going to a place and pointing out to the people there the creative, life-giving God who is already present in their midst." God may be there but Jesus the Redeemer is not. He criticizes the statement by missionaries who say they are about bringing God to the lost. He states that God is already there. God may be there but Jesus the Redeemer is not. The missionary is bringing salvation not God.

Nowhere in the book is the New Age Jesus more dramatically depicted than on page 92. He makes the statement "and Jesus is the life force that makes it possible... my friends are resonating with Jesus whether they acknowledge it or not... Jesus was up on that cliff with us that day... in affirming and celebrating all that they did that day on the cliff, my friends are closer to Jesus than they could ever imagine."

Finally, 107 pages into his book, first mention is made of redemption. On page 108, he makes the statement "the point of the cross isn't forgiveness. Forgiveness leads to something much bigger: restoration. God isn't just interested in the covering over of our sins; God wants to make us into the people we were originally created to be." The work of the cross was not the covering of our sins but the removal of them. The last line of page 109 states "but we can join a movement that is as wide and deep and big as the universe itself. Rocks and trees and birds and swamps and ecosystems. God's desire is to restore all of it." This is New Age, Mother Earth and bright Green! God is not interested in making us what we originally were intended to be. He has so much more for us than that. Because we now have free choice, he wants to make us free and not slaves. Heaven is so much better than the Garden of Eden.

The rest of this book is pretty much plain vanilla and not very profound. Consequently, there is not much that is controversial here.

On page 148, last paragraph, he states "for Jesus, this new kind of life in him is not about escaping this world but about making it a better place, here and now. The goal for Jesus isn't to get into heaven. The goal is to get heaven here." This is an unbalanced statement. Jesus made the comment that the poor we always have with us and he accepted spikenard, et cetera. His ultimate goal for us is in heaven. That is why he states that we should lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven by blessing people here today. On page 150, middle of the page, he makes the statement "and Jesus calls us to return to our true selves." To this I state we can't -- we must be born again. Further down, he states "we need you to you." New Age!! "We don't need a second anybody. We need the first to you." Social Gospel. Next page he states "trust Jesus can repair the scarred and broken image." He can't and you won't. It is his business to produce a new image/creation.

Page 158 is rather interesting, in the second paragraph he states "from day one (which is really day six). They are in intimate relationship and interaction with their environment. They are environmentalists... This is why litter and pollution are spiritual issues." It's really nice being Green!

He states "we cannot live independently of the world God has placed us in. We are intimately connected by God." However in the Bible we read that we are to be in this world but not of the world. On page 159, third paragraph from the bottom, he states "these people cannot be separated from their environment. One part falls out of harmony and everything is affected. As one text says, 'the whole creation has been groaning.' It is all thrown off." This is a stretch of the Scriptures. The groaning is part of the travail for the New Creation.

On page 160 he states "remember when God made the world, he called it good. Why would God destroy something he thinks is good?" In the Scriptures we read that God will create a New Heaven and a New Earth and the Old will be destroyed. Next page, he states "in Jesus, God is putting it all back together again." However, Jesus stated that he wanted to put in new wine in new wineskins.V

Rob Bell modern Christian.......2007-09-19

Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith written by Rob Bell is a short novel, only 177pages.

Rob Bell is the founding Pastor of Mars Hill, a church in Grandville, Michigan. Bell graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois and Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He has written two books, Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith, and Sex God. Bell is also featured in a series of short films called NOOMA. He
and his wife Kristin have two boys.

Things that work about this book are, that the author has brought a broad view of what a person's individual interpretation of the Bible does and does not tell the audience. Bell uses everyday examples of family and ministry occurrences to inspire thought. He defines vocabulary terms that the society as a whole may be unfamiliar with.

Although the writer is obviously a Christian, he is
writing probing and eye-opening what-ifs on every other page. He tells the reader about his own struggles with faith and gives little tips throughout the book in the reading on how to hone in on the struggles of life and overcome them.

The book needed a larger font. Reading the script chosen was difficult because the line of the letters is so thin. When the editors separate chapters, they use sub-headings. This does nothing for the reader except distract from the reading.

Rob Bell has written a great novel in Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith. This book would be best for the Christian who needs a jumpstart, a person
seeking Christ, and for anyone who simply wants something to think about. Anyone who considers themselves spiritual in any way would finish this book without wondering why they started it.

Ultimately, Velvet Elvis will open the eyes of anyone reading it. This book would be especially interesting to the casual Christian reader.

Renegotiating Health Care: Resolving Conflict to Build Collaboration

Average customer rating:

Must Reading for Health Care Executives
Excellent principles for conflict resolution

Renegotiating Health Care: Resolving Conflict to Build Collaboration
Leonard J. Marcus , Barry C. Dorn , Phyllis Beck Kritek , Velvet G. Miller , Janice B. Wyatt , Phyllis B. Kritek , and Velvet
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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Getting Health Reform Right: A Guide to Improving Performance and Equity

ASIN: 0787950211

Book Description

The health care sphere we inhabit would unquestionably be more satisfying if everyone adopted the cooperative techniques taught in this book.
--New England Journal of Medicine

Renegotiating Health Care presents pragmatic and effective tools for understanding conflict, negotiating differences, and creating a workable balance among those who deliver, receive, administer, and oversee health care. The authors present practical methods and techniques giving all the players the knowledge and skills they need to put their work in perspective and create workable solutions.

Customer Reviews:

Must Reading for Health Care Executives.......2001-12-02

This book is essential reading for any leader in the world of health care. Health care execs are confronted with complex, highly charged negotiation challenges, internal and external, nearly every day. Many of these conflicts can damage lives and corporate finances. The book gives you very practical, results-oriented advice on how to resolve conflicts and move forward.

Dr. Marcus is the nation's leading expert in health care negotiations and conflict resolution, having helped numerous high-profile organizations overcome conflicts and reach mutually productive agreements. This book thoughtfully conveys this valuable expertise.

Excellent principles for conflict resolution.......2001-06-25

Marcus presents a broad spectrum of options for getting through tough times in the healthcare industry. The personable style and ongoing case history make this a very readable presentation.

Marcus teaches us that conflict is not only always present and unavoidable but can be used as a catalyst for good change. He describes differences in types of negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. He is a proponent of interest-based negotiation which is an attempt to improve the lot of the whole by improving the parts. He advocates active listening.

As witness to his sincerity, he dedicates a chapter each to four of the healthcare stakeholders: policymakers, healthcare management, physicians, and nurses. Each of these chapters speaks loudest to its own stakeholder, at once representing them and persuading them to enter into negotiation.

Postitional bargaining is also explored. Marcus does not advocate being a sacrificial lamb.

This book serves as an excellent introduction to the topic of conflict resolution and negotiation. However, in order to engage into the fray, one would also need to continue to study and practice the principles presented.

Although Marcus seems preachy at times and overhopeful at others, he is at least starting to draw the diverse and strong healthcare industry into one place to sit and talk. Hooray for that.

Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith
Average customer rating:

Sorry, I want to, but I just cannot read this book

This is an Amazing book!!

Repainting Personal Views Only

Wonderful, Wonderful Book

Vince - Superintendent God-Botherer
Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith
Rob Bell
Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 031026345X

Book Description

We know there’s something more. We sense it, we feel it, we know it. And we want it. We want an authentic spirituality.

Customer Reviews:

Sorry, I want to, but I just cannot read this book.......2007-10-08

I am a long-time pastor (more than 40 years) of small (less than 50 regular attendance) churches in the mid-Atlantic region. I picked up this book based solely on the statement that a military chaplain whom I respect was using it. I had hopes that it would show me something new about sharing the gospel. I do find 'narrative preaching' a very important tool for reaching new Christians and the unchurched. It requires more and different preparation than has been my habit.

I cannot rely on this book to help me. It is a long standing debate among theologians as to the soundness of the principle that the end justifies the means. I am on the side that says NO to this proposition.

The public, easily verifiable, facts as to the history of the beginning Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids is very different from the history presented in this book. That conflict makes the rest of the book meaningless to me.

If you accept that the end is important enuff to justify deception as a means of sharing the Gospel, then you will have no problem with this book.

This is an Amazing book!!.......2007-07-21

Rob Bell writes just like he speaks, and thats what I love about Velvet Elvis, its just as powerful as the nooma videos.

Repainting Personal Views Only.......2007-06-22

Rob Bell is a gifted writer and has a knack for catching one's attention. But Repainting the Christian Faith is not something that needs to be done by Bell or anyone else. Rediscovering the Faith Once Delivered for the Saints is appropriate and right, but not thinking that we can come up with Something New Under the Sun.

As stated the book is intriguing yet at the same time deceiving from the standpoint that Bell likes to throw bombs, but never has to explain why they are thrown. Two such examples from early in the book.

First, Bell poses the question of if evidence could be produced to prove that Jesus was not born of a virgin could we still follow Jesus' teaching, could His message still carry the same weight. Bell throws this bomb and it is a good conversation starter, but he never cleans up his mess. Bell states very quickly that he does believe that fundamental principle, but he leaves it at that and does not tell the readers why the question is good, but that if the answer is NO (that Jesus was not born of a virgin) then Christianity is false and Jesus' words cannot be followed. This is the overrriding deception of this book and whether it is intentional or not, Bell needed to explain to the readers that while the question is good, the answer is important and foundational to the faith.

Second, Bell chides a large denomination for taking a stance on family relations, specifically on the wife submitting to her husband and claims that this denomation's entire meeting was centered around forcing a wife to submit to her husband. He does not name the denomination (it was the Southern Baptist Convention of 2000) but claims that they took Scripture out of context. Bell states, "did they not read the previous verse? Did they never read the verse that says a woman has authority over her husband?" This deceptive language is followed by a very faint endnote that in the hardback edition is almost impossible to read with the naked eye. Imagine the shock when a reader would track down this verse that says a woman has auhority over her husband to find the reference being 1 Corinthians 7:4 which is speaking specifically of conjugal rights, not hierarchy in the household. Bell who had just finished accusing a denomination of taking Scripture out of context to prove his point, does so by taking Scripture out of context to deceive those who don't check out the endnote.

It is for this reason alone that I cannot recommend this book to the novice reader who does not have a handle on their faith.

I would however recommend the book to those who are solid in their faith as a means to sharpen yourselves against those who, perhaps even in a desire to share Jesus, water down the gospel to a point where it may become ineffective. Remember, the size of his church does not mean that all is well.

Wonderful, Wonderful Book.......2007-06-08

I absolutely loved reading Rob Bell's perspective on God and faith. If you want to think about your spirituality, read this book. I found it to be uplifting and eye opening. Rob does not claim to have all the answers but, as he puts it, he adds to the dialog. I enjoy very much the dialog. It gave me a new perspective on my relationsip with God and feel I have grown closer to Him.
Thanks Rob, write some more!

Vince - Superintendent God-Botherer.......2007-05-31

We are on the verge of what could be a great revival, in America especially, that starts with Rob Bell and other Christ following leaders who can see through the traditions that have clouded the Christian faith in the west. Many have been encouraged to drop the traditions that have been passed as gospel truth for the last 100 years because Bell has been able to communicate what many of us have been thinking for a long time.

The Mystery Is The Truth !

Average customer rating:

Wonderful scense of place and time.
Captivating
Lesbians in London
Not her best...
Overindulge Yourself

Tipping the Velvet: A Novel
Sarah Waters
Manufacturer: Riverhead Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Fingersmith
Affinity
The Night Watch
Tipping the Velvet
Fingersmith

ASIN: 1573227889

Amazon.com

The heroine of Sarah Waters's audacious first novel knows her destiny, and seems content with it. Her place is in her father's seaside restaurant, shucking shellfish and stirring soup, singing all the while. "Although I didn't long believe the story told to me by Mother--that they had found me as a baby in an oyster-shell, and a greedy customer had almost eaten me for lunch--for eighteen years I never doubted my own oysterish sympathies, never looked far beyond my father's kitchen for occupation, or for love." At night Nancy Astley often ventures to the nearby music hall, not that she has illusions of being more than an audience member. But the moment she spies a new male impersonator--still something of a curiosity in England circa 1888--her years of innocence come to an end and a life of transformations begins.

Tipping the Velvet, all 472 pages of it, is as saucy, as tantalizing, and as touching as the narrator's first encounter with the seductive but shame-ridden Miss Kitty Butler. And at first even Nancy's family is thrilled with her gender-bending pal, all but her sister, best friend, and bedmate, Alice, "her eyes shining cold and dull, with starlight and suspicion." Not to worry. Soon Nancy and Kitty are off to London, their relationship close though (alas for our heroine) sisterly. We know that bliss will come, and it does, in an exceptionally charged moment. A lesser author would have been content to stop her story there, but Waters has much more in mind for her buttonholing heroine, and for us. In brief, her Everywoman with a sexual difference goes from success onstage to heartbreak to a stint as a male prostitute (necessity truly is the mother of invention) to keeping house for a brother and sister in the Labour movement. And did I mention her long stint as a plaything in the pleasure palace of a rich Sapphist extraordinaire? Diana Lethaby is as cruel as she is carnal, and even the well-concealed Cavendish Ladies' Club isn't outré enough for her. Kitting Nancy out in full, elegant drag, she dares the front desk to turn them away. "We are here," she mocks, "for the sake of the irregular."

Only after some seven years of hard twists and sensual turns does Nancy conclude that a life of sensation is not enough. Still, Tipping the Velvet is so entertaining that readers will wish her sentimental--and hedonistic--education had taken twice as long. --Kerry Fried

Book Description

This stunning and steamy debut chronicles the adventures of Nan King, a small-town girl at the turn of the century whose life takes a wild turn of its own when she follows a local music hall star to London...

"Glorious...a sexy, sinewy sojourn of a young woman in turn-of-the-century England."--The Boston Globe

"Erotic and absorbing...If lesbian fiction is to reach a wider readership, Waters is the person to carry the banner."--The New York Times Book Review

"Wonderful...a sensual experience that leaves the reader marveling at the author's craftsmanship, idiosyncrasy and sheer effort."--The San Francisco Chronicle

"Amazing....This is the lesbian novel we've all been waiting for."--Salon.com

"Compelling...Readers of all sexes and orientations should identify with this gutsy hero as she learns who she is and how to love."--Newsday

"Echoes of Tom Jones, Great Expectations...Waters's debut offers terrific entertainment: pulsating with highly charged (and explicitly presented) erotic heat."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful scense of place and time........2007-09-23

Spectacular book. It has it all, romance, tragedy, humor, sex. I was not sure what to think when I first found this book. I had never read Lesbian Lit before. I read it and enjoyed it very much. I have gone on to read all of Sarah Waters novels, they are are to well written to be dimissed as a niche or genre book.

Captivating.......2007-08-09

I first saw the film version of Tipping the Velvet which really got me interested in the story line since I missed most of it. Once I heard more about the book, I decided to buy it and I'm not sorry. It's very captivating, to see the hardships the characters go through in trying to be true to themselves in a time when such things are rather frowned upon. The only issue I have with the book is the fact that some parts seem to drag on, with little imagery which makes it hard to see the story while reading it.

Lesbians in London.......2007-07-11

This tale set in 1890's London reminded me that 20th century lesbians did not invent kinky sex. This is an engrossing tale of a "tommish" woman looking for a life among sapphists and libertines.

The huge amount of research Ms. Waters has done is evident in the detailed setting of music halls and socialist demonstrations. Fascinating. Not Waters' newest but I think it is her best.

Also available as a DVD complete with great sex scenes. Look for a cameo appearance by an oversized dildo.

Not her best..........2007-06-20

"Tipping the Velvet" will seem familiar to readers who have experienced Sarah Waters's fiction before. Like "Affinity" and "Fingersmith" the author takes us into a reconstruction of Victorian England and plumbs the relationships between women who were on the fringes of society. "Tipping the Velvet," which was the first of these books to be published, is the most straightforward. It follows a simple structure that might be boring to some readers. The language is repetitive and somewhat plain, all reflecting the first person narratation of a young, inexperienced girl.

I liked the book without loving it. It essentially follows the life of Nancy Astley as she sets off from her provincial childhood and explores the lesbian subculture of 1890s London. There are a few surprises along the way and some subtext about women's lives at this point in history. I liked some of the places Nancy finds for herself along the way, disperate communities in which outcasts find a sense of togetherness.

What I liked a lot less in this novel was Nancy's progression from innocence to experience. A lot of her revelations felt forced, and I didn't entirely buy the self-acceptance the character found for herself. Her growth simply didn't feel organic a lot of the time. Her love life was similarly pat and predictable (with the exception of the section at Felicity Place, which was quite entertaining and inventive).

All in all, I liked "Tipping the Velvet" but it won't top my list of recommendations to others.

Overindulge Yourself.......2007-05-10

This coming-of-age story is sweet and shocking as youth in the Victorian era celebrate overindulgence in a delightful sexual romp.

Average customer rating:

Surprised How Much I Liked It 4.5 Stars
*THIS WAS OKAY*
Please
Not Her Best
Educating Audrey

Velvet Glove
Emma Holly
Manufacturer: Virgin Cheek
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Menage
Cooking Up A Storm (Black Lace)
Top of Her Game
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ASIN: 0352338989

Book Description

A sizzling story of decadence, drama and daring outfits! Audrey realizes she's in over her head when she gets embroiled with icy-cool banker, Sterling. His ideas of adult fun are more than she can handle, so she packs her bags and walks out of his luxury Florida apartment, heading back to Washington DC in search of a regular life with a regular guy. But for a girl like Audrey, this is not as easy as it sounds. When Patrick Dugan, the charismatic owner of an old-world bar, fixes Audrey in his sights, some strange alliances are about to be formed. Within a week Audrey talks her way into a job at Patrick's bar and a room in the apartment he shares with a drag queen jazz singer called Basil. The highly sexed roommates are soon getting intimate with each other, even experimenting with games of kinky SM sex. But Audrey soon suspects that Patrick is not all that he seems. Why is he pretending to be gay? And what is he covering up for his father, a pillar of the local community? Audrey is so affected by the enigmatic, dominant barman that she doesn't realise they are connected by a mutual adversary - a cold-hearted man who will take them all down if he doesn't get what he wants.

Customer Reviews:

Surprised How Much I Liked It 4.5 Stars.......2006-12-14

I had read a couple of things by Emma Holly and didn't love or hate them. But after this book I will be reading more of Ms. Holly. The sex was hot (very important in erotica) and varied. Even the scenes involving male/male sex, which is not a thing for me, were well written and much better handled than other authors' treatment of simliar scenes.

Yes, Audrey has a lot of sex and with more than one person (although nowhere near the numbers of most more typical non-romantica erotica) and explores sub and dom relationships which involve bondage. The character is introduced in the middle of a punishment given by Sterling, her master/lover. Thier relationship has abusive overtones and Audrey leaves him and goes back to her old life in D.C. She begins staying with her best friend Tommy, who is in love with her. But soon gets a job at a bar owned by Patrick Dugan, who has been asked to look out for her, and excepts his invitation to move in with him. Patrick is trying to protect Audrey because Sterling, believing that Audrey is his possesion, is having her watched.

Patrick needs Audrey to trust him, so he pretends to be involved with Basil, the bars transvetite singer, who also comes to live at Patrick's large penthouse apartment. But Patrick is having a hard time fighting his attraction to Audrey, a natural sub. To further complicate things Basil is showing intrest in both of them. Through the course of the story Patrick must either learn to deal with his intamacy issues or lose Audrey. Audrey is learning that she can be submissive in her sex life (and plays at dominence a little) withought being misstreated. But the book deffinatly does not have your typical happily ever after ending. This is a more uncoventional love story and readers who dislike books where the characters have multiple partners, should probably skip this one. For readers who don't require monogamy enjoy!

*THIS WAS OKAY*.......2006-07-22

I actually liked the way this started out more than the way it ended. Audrey is a goof if you ask me. She takes advantage of the one guy who is true and sincere to her. I don't enjoy the games the 3 "roommates" play. This book could be passed up and you wouldn't be missing much.

Please.......2006-07-11

I love Emma Holly I'll be the first to admit it but this book was so wrong that I just don't know where to begin. Audrey likes to have sex. She likes to have sex with everyone. Thats basiclly the book in a nutshell. She seems to have no other qualities besides whats between her legs. Boring! Lets have alittle depth. Patrick was alittle likeable and then theres the drag queen roomate Basil (What). I don't know and I don't know if you will either. I read some other reviews and found theres to be good but unfortunetly I don't like everybody in the book having sex with one another. Mrs. Holly I would recommend giving a little more depth to your characters even tho it's erotica. If you like erotica try Rhyannon Byrd!

Not Her Best.......2005-10-20

Emma Holly is a very versatile writer who seems to understand people in a rare way, and know every dark fantasy you've ever had, committing it to paper.

Here she veers a little off.

Audrey is much more young and naive than her usual heroines; on a vacation she happily leaves her life to become a disrespected sex slave to a complete stranger, the very old and cold Sterling.

She escapes but he plants a tracking device in her nipple ring and finds she lands back in Boston with her best friend Tommy. He is a whiny mn who worships her and desperately desires sex to the point of pathetic begging and misogynistic demands. With Tommy there are slowly escalating scenes of her dominating him, which seems odd as she is very much a submissive at that point. She even dominates his girfriend Cynthia, yet another person who worships the great and two-dimensional Audrey.

Sterling asks old friend Senator Dugan to keep an eye on her, and Dugan dcides to stick it to him. He knows his son Patrick, a bar owner, is part of the group D/s scene and asks him to master the girl.

Patrick draws Audrey in an an unbelievable stroke of luck and realizes she is too skittish for the group scene. He asks her to move in with him and asks his drag queen nightly performer (at an Irish bar in Boston? What the HELL was Holly thinking????) Basil to pretend to be his gay lover, lulling her into submission.

Patrick discovers he likes men, not as much as women though; Audrey discovers she is a weak willed spineless twit with an amazing, uh, "asset" between her legs who wants to be cossetted and spoiled by day, chained and spanked by night.

Somehow, inexplicably, she falls in love with him and refuses Sterling when he comes for her. It seems without motivation, there is no real relationship between the bar owner and his new pet.

The sex is so weak, it reads like a husband and wife of 30 years decided to try a little light spanking to spice up their sex life. The D/s is nonexistent and the best sex scenes are Basil seducing Audrey when they first meet, Basil seducing Patrick in the kitchen, and Patrick dominating Basil while Audrey watches pretending to be a dominatrix.

The characters aren't fleshed out enough and the sex scenes were A: too far apart, and B: had no sensual anticipation leading up to them.

Audrey, unlike all of her other heroines, seems like an empty-headed spoiled beauty queen and I really would have liked for just one person to not be head-over-heels in love with her. Just one. That is, besides me.

Skip it, and try "Cooking Up A Storm" or "Menage" for her typically GREAT erotica.

Educating Audrey.......2005-07-15

Audrey is a naive young women off on a journey to sample every gourmet variety of sexual behavior she can find. She is SO varied in her ability to respond to people - male, female, and androgynes - that her claim to a B & D obsession is not all that credible, although she DOES love her pierced nipple jewlry. Her "forever"friends and sexual playmates Tommy and Cynthia are so sweet and believable, and the female impersonator Basil is WAY cool and oh so genuine. But the masterful well endowed hunk Patrick who is the overriding object of Audrey's affection turns out in the end to be a sucker for romance and enthusiastically bisexual himself! Still, this is vividly realistic and VERY graphic sexual writing. I will certasinly read more from Ms. Holly.

The Jesus of Suburbia: Have We Tamed the Son of God to Fit Our Lifestyle?

Average customer rating:

Challenging book
GREAT BOOK!
Let the revolution begin!
A Good View of the Kingdom concept
insightful and provocative

The Jesus of Suburbia: Have We Tamed the Son of God to Fit Our Lifestyle?
Mike Erre
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Suburban Christian: Finding Spiritual Vitality in the Land of Plenty
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The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus's Essential Teachings on Discipleship
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Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality And Spirituality

ASIN: 084990059X

Product Description

Like the first-century Pharisees, weve reduced Christianity to a setof propositional beliefs. Truth is, weve gotten away from what itreally means to be a Christian. In The Jesus of Suburbia, Mike Errereveals that weve created a Jesus in our own image. In a fresh,startling manner, Erre helps us understand that the real Jesus iscalling us to live, act, and think in ways that overturn the statusquo.· Mike Erre is the pastor of a 4,000 member church in Costa Mesa, California.· Mike and other authors and leaders have formed The Issachar Group, which is presenting the Christian faith innew, compelling ways in print and in seminars

Customer Reviews:

Challenging book.......2007-05-10

The Jesus of Suburbia challenges the America church to become what Jesus intended: a fellowship of Christ-followers which redeems and transforms the culture around it, reaching out to others with the incredible love of God. Read this book to rediscover biblical Christianity.

GREAT BOOK!.......2007-03-21

Mike Erre is a fantastic writer! His book is to the point, but very entertaining. I would recommend it to everyone!

Let the revolution begin!.......2007-01-12

An excellent perspective on how we often sell out the true call of our faith for a consumer substitute. A challenge to guard against being so lulled by the comforts and trappings of suburban-American life that we literally begin to mix values that don't belong in our faith. That's called syncretism and as The Jesus of Suburbia makes clear, it's a big mistake.

To take the vision of this book seriously would lead to a beautiful living out of our faith as followers of Christ in the midst of our culture. This is excellent and accessible material that you can easily use in a small-group setting or to inform your teaching. As a pastor myself, I highly recommend it.

You may also be interested in learning more about ROCKHARBOR Church in Costa Mesa, CA where Mike Erre is the Teaching Pastor. It is a community of faith striving to live it's values in impressively unique ways despite it's location in the plush sun-drenched mall-topia of Orange County. If anyone has authority to speak of the challenges of truly being the Church in suburbia, it is Mike Erre with ROCKHARBOR as a living example.

A Good View of the Kingdom concept.......2007-01-10

Once you get around the tackiness of the "suburbia" theme, you can appreciate what Mike Erre is trying to do. His description of the two kingdoms (what's Caesar's and what's God's) is illuminating. He helps understand Christianity as an open door rather than a closed theology.

insightful and provocative.......2006-12-24

Mike Erre's book takes a look at the Jesus that has been created by modern religion and questions how true that view of him really is. This is a wonderful book with many unique insights that provoke the reader to consider the source of their beliefs and challenge him/her to action.

The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man's World

Average customer rating:

Another self-help book this is not!
Read the book twice
A Contemporary Must Read for Anyone
Something for Everyone...Sort Of
Insightful Reading

The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man's World
Alan Downs
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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When I Knew
Cruise Control: Understanding Sex Addiction In Gay Men
Ten Smart Things Gay Men Can Do to Improve Their Lives
Coming Out of Shame : Transforming Gay and Lesbian Lives
You're Different and That's Super

ASIN: 0738210617

Book Description

A groundbreaking examination of the psychology of homosexuality, why it leads to shame over one's identity and how to overcome it

The gay male world today is characterized by seductive beauty, artful creativity, flamboyant sexuality, and, encouragingly, unprecedented acceptability in society. Yet despite the progress of the recent past, gay men still find themselves asking, "Are we really better off?"

The inevitable byproduct of growing up gay in a straight world continues to be the internalization of shame, a shame gay men may strive to obscure with a faade of beauty, creativity, or material success. Drawing on contemporary psychological research, the author's own journey to be free of anger and of shame, as well as the stories of many of his friends and clients, The Velvet Rage outlines the three distinct stages to emotional well-being for gay men. Offering profoundly beneficial strategies to stop the insidious cycle of avoidance and self-defeating behavior, The Velvet Rage is an empowering book that will influence the public discourse on gay culture, and positively change the lives of gay men who read it.

Customer Reviews:

Another self-help book this is not!.......2007-09-20

From the first day I came out 6 years ago to today, I've been all too familiar with the LGBT self-help books displayed prominently on bookstore shelves. For 6 years, I've been disappointed with what I have found. I find them to be repetitive, lacking nuance, and not very insightful. So, I've found myself going about my life left only to my own personal insights and experiences. Until now.

The Velvet Rage has given word to the countless abstract notions and ideas of my sexuality that have been floating around in my head for years. The book is insightful, manageable and interesting. I see deep parallels between myself and the words on the pages of this work. I truly suggest it for those looking for a deeper understanding of themselves and in filling the emptiness they may still feel as a gay man. I already feel I am on my way to a more fulfilled, peaceful and authentically happy life! And, no one even paid me to write this review!

Read the book twice.......2007-09-05

I've read it cover-to-cover and I've started to read it again simply because I was taken aback by how much I actually related to the experiences of the author and the patients he's treated over the years.
I cried in certain parts and has made me think as to how I could have handled things differently in my past and present with the people I love. I also realized "what was I even thinking??".....that thought rang right through me.

Its made me think an aweful lot about me, my behavior, how I see people, trust and those around me now and those that will be in the near future. I realize that I have a lot to learn, but I have always stated it back then and even now that when you don't listen to your gut, that's when you get screwed royally. When you do however, in the end you know what you are doing is right. But in this case I'm learning that doing and saying anything was it all worth it? The price I paid cost me dearly.
I just have to figure out how to ACT not REACT and I'm learning how to do that.

I'm in the process of "letting go" of years of sheer pain and heading towards the road of healing. It's going to take me a while but I know I'll find it. This book along with the struggles I've had over the past 3 years has really been helpful.
I've shared this book with one other person whom I consider my best friend and care deeply about after a good friend of mine that I've known over 10 years suggested I read it. I think EVERY person out there needs to read this book INCLUDING gay men.
We NEED to understand each other and heal ourselves before we find each other.

A Contemporary Must Read for Anyone.......2007-07-27

The Velvet Rage was recommended to me by Davis Mallory of MTV's Real World: Denver, and I have to say this book is a must read. Author Alan Downs of Santa Fe, New Mexico, puts primary components of the homosexual lifestyle into perspective for a myriad of readers. The book is divided into three stages based on shame, rage, and contentment with a life lived by so many males. Downs, a clinical psychologist, provides detailed personal faux pas and timeless reflections of arguably truthful testimony from some of his own clientèle. His introduction will grab any reader immediately as he opts to describe the contemporary gay lifestyle as being "a culture of [our] own." He ends The Velvet Rage with his longest chapter delineating 10 profound life lessons applicable to gay men who are cycling shame continuously. Gay males will find this book invigoratingly refreshing while the heterosexual counterparts will grasp abundant information and practical knowledge for personal growth and development in understanding the homosexual male characterization that Downs has offered. Quite frankly, The Velvet Rage should be used as a resource for educational and entertainment purposes, but hopefully, all readers will gain a more positive outlook on life after reading Downs' book.

Something for Everyone...Sort Of.......2007-07-16

As a gay white man, I found a lot in the book that I could say "yeah, that's right". about. At the same time, The absence of the mention of the experience of women, people of color or of pratically anyone else who was not also a white middle class or wealthy gay male was missing from the text.

I still think that this is a book to read...and re-read. Most of what the author talks about are universal issues...with a gay slant. It can be read by anyone who has grown up in in a straight WHITE man's world, including many (most?) straight white men.

Yes, my growing up experience has been difficult - and there are a plethora of books out there that focus on growing up female, non-white, poor, overweight, etc, etc. I'd say give this book a good read, and "fill in the blanks" whenever the references to gay men don't apply to you. It is well written and has many good anecdotes, suggestions and insights - enough to make me want to look up and see what else the author has written.

Insightful Reading.......2007-06-27

I really enjoyed reading this book, once I was done I had both my parents read it as well. They said it helped them a great deal to understand me a lot better, not only now, but why they couldn't always "reach me" when I was younger.

The Velvet Shadow (The Heirs of Cahira O'Connor Series , No 3)

Average customer rating:

The Best Yet!
Fantastic Historical Fiction Based During the Civil War
Great Book Must Read
What a wonderful story!
Hunt highlights women in history

The Velvet Shadow (The Heirs of Cahira O'Connor Series , No 3)
Angela Elwell Hunt
Manufacturer: WaterBrook Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Emerald Isle (The Heirs of Cahira O'Connor #4)
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The Justice

ASIN: 1578561310
Release Date: 1999-02-16

Book Description

THE HEIRS OF CAHIRA O’CONNOR SERIES - BOOK THREE It is said that as Cahira, daughter of the great Irish king Rory O’Connor, lay dying of a wound from a Norman blade, she lifted her hand toward heaven and beseeched God that others would follow…breaking forth from the courses to which they are bound to restore right in this murderous world…

To Kathleen O’Connor, Cahira’s story was nothing more than a legend–until research divulged that the tale was true. Stunned, Kathleen realizes she herself bears Cahira’s mark. Is she destined to continue the legacy? To find the truth, Kathleen must delve into the past to find the truth about The Heirs of Cahira O'Connor…

When Flanna O’Connor, a young medical student in Boston, is cut off from her family in Charleston at the start of the Civil War, she decides to disguise herself and move south with the Union Army. While in disguise, she must prove herself as a soldier and a doctor, both to her messmates and to Major Alden Haynes, brother to the man she has tentatively agreed to marry. But when Flanna and Alden are trapped between two armies, can Flanna trust God with her future…and with the love she has sought all her life?

Customer Reviews:

The Best Yet!.......2007-01-10

Book Three of the Heirs of Cahira O'Connor was my favorite of the series. I enjoyed the setting - the Civil War - and the development of Flanna's understanding of the real issues of the war. The aspect of a woman doctor in a time when they were not accepted was very well done. Love, loyalty, faith - it has it all...

Fantastic Historical Fiction Based During the Civil War .......2006-05-16

This book is the 3rd in "The Heirs of Cahira O'Conner" series. Although I haven't read the 4th, so far this one is my favorite. Not that the first 2 are not good, they are terrific, it's just that this one gripped me from the beginning. I read this 400 page novel in just 24 hours!

Flanna O'Conner is finishing up medical school in Boston when the Civil War begins. She longs for her family in Charleston SC and disguises herself as a soldier in her effort to return to the south. Although Flanna's character has depth from the beginning, her travels deepen her character and trust in God. This is a profound story of sacrifice, loyalty, and how the effects of this war dramatically changed so many lives. These people gave up virtually everything (their lives, family, homes, & work) for a cause they believed in.

Flanna's experience and what is shared in this book really brings significance to the heroism of those who served in the Civil War. The author does an excellent job of researching our country's culture and circumstances during the mid-1800s. At the end she writes two pages on her references. I had no idea that there were 400 women who actually did pose as men in order to serve in the Civil War.

What I love about historical fiction is that it gives me a heart for the people who lived during the time, and a desire to learn more. What a great way to learn about history!!

Great Book Must Read.......2004-08-29

I love this book. Even though I'm just 15. I thought is had an amazing plot and a wonderful ending. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars is because of the beginning. It was incredibly slow and boring. But I'm so glad I decided to keep reading!

What a wonderful story!.......2002-05-23

This book is moving...I thought that it brought a new eye to the Civil War. Flanna is in Boston, studying to get her medical degree so that she can return to Charleston and help her father in his practice. However, the Civil War breaks out and Flanna is forced to figure out how she will get home. As in the other Cahira O'Connor books, she dresses as a boy and becomes a soldier.

I thought this book was very well written from beginning to end. The death of the professor is Kathleen's impetus to get back to work on the story of the heirs of Cahira O'Connor. What she finds leads her to wonder what HER role in this will be.

I highly recommend this book to anyone, but please read the other 2 books in the series first. This book will make you want to rush out and pick up the 4th.

Hunt highlights women in history.......2000-05-24

Novelist Angela Elwell Hunt has done it again! Her exciting historical women's fiction series shines with complex stories of gifted women seeking to make a place for themselves in a world, dominated by narrow ideas of women as little more than man pleasers.

Velvet Shadow is the third in a Cahira O Connor series. Flanna O'Connor a Southern bell who defied convention to study medicine in Boston Mass on the eve of the Civil War. Her hopes to take her degree back to the south are shattered by the outbreak of war, cut off from her family she tries to enlist in the Army as a Doctor and prejudice turns her back.

This theme runs throughtout the story as the wealthy Bostonian abolitionists bemoan the fate of slaves, while mistreating their Irish servants. Her keen eye for hypocrisy in society is entertaining. I had not known that some freed blacks also had slaves. Her devotion to research illuminates the Zeitgeist (ruling ideas) of the times. When an aspiring politican pursues her to marry him and forsake medicine, Flanna, like her ancestor and many actual women in the Civil War impersonates a man to join the Union Army. She hopes to make her way home to the south and desert but her destiny as a Doctor calls her to steal supplies to treat the wounded, in spite of threat of exposure, court martial or worse. As a surgeon she becomes the Velvet Shadow who saves men who would have perished without her. Hunt has captured the misery and mismanagement of troops, supplies etc in this heartbreaking war that redefined the history of our country. Again, we are led through a series of heart breaks and changes the character must conquer to survive and thrive.

This book will spark your appetite to read the earlier books in the series that began with The Silver Sword, set in 1400's Anika of Prague must pretend to be a knight in order to escape unwanted attention of a nobleman's son. She plays in integral part in story of Jan Hus, burned at the stake for his religious beliefs.

In the second book, the Golden Cross opens in 1642 when Aidan O'Connor penniless after the death of her father at sea ekes out a living in the slums of Colonial Batavia while her spirit longs for artistic expression. A master cartographer recognizes her talent and senses God leading him to train her. Aidan enters the aristocratic world as apprenticing artist and is coached in fine manners of high born women. She longs to learn and become a wealthy artist to lift her friends from the web of wharf poverty and degradation. Aidan casts aside the brocade to masquerade as a cabin boy aboard the exploration vessel of Captain Tasman to pursue her dream. The voyage is fraught with danger, slaughter and brings Aidan to cling to God. Aidan's voyage leads to unexpected danger, treasure and you'll need to read the book to find out if she settles or succeeds.

Book Description

She came to him as a precious gift, a naked angel rolled in a rug. Once he gazed into her green eyes, saw her tangle of honey blonde hair, he was undone with passion.

Elizabeth would never surrender. He was a hated Montgomery -- she was a Chatworth -- and the blood war between their families raged on, a wildfire of rape, murder, and betrayal.

Elizabeth vowed to fight the handsome lord, to resist the burning desire in his eyes -- no matter how great the temptation.

Download Description

"She came to him as a precious gift, a naked angel rolled in a rug. Once he gazed into her green eyes, saw her tangle of honey blonde hair, he was undone with passion. Elizabeth would never surrender. He was a hated Montgomery -- she was a Chatworth -- and the blood war between their families raged on, a wildfire of rape, murder, and betrayal. Elizabeth vowed to fight the handsome lord, to resist the burning desire in his eyes -- no matter how great the temptation. "

Customer Reviews:

Fast paced and hard to put down.......2006-07-22

Velvet Angel is a beautiful story about Miles and Elizabeth Montgomery. The Chatworth and Montgomery families are involved in a bitter blood feud. Elizabeth Chatworth is captured by an ally of the Montgomery's and presented to Miles Montgomery as a gift. Of course, one look at Elizabeth's beauty was enough for Miles to know that he desired her above all else. But, as all courageous heroines are prone to do, Elizabeth made him work for it. Elizabeth and Miles eventually fall in love but the feud between their families threaten to tear them apart by undermining the fragile trust they have for each other.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was fast-paced and beautifully woven. Not only is it a love story, but also a story about family, trust, and forgiveness.

Just horrible.......2006-07-11

I read The Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux before and really enjoyed it so I thought I would give the Velvet series a shot and I wish I hadn't.

In all of the books the stories drag, there is always countless misunderstandings between the Montgomery men and their wives that make no sense but someone end up being resolved by the women with their husbands finally showing how much they love their wives. I wish that Jude Deveraux had written her characters with more depth. So many of the stories started off strong and somehow at the end its like she got bored and slapped on a happy ending.

Also at the end of the book Jude Deverax does a short epilogue to tell you what happened to everyone and I just couldn't believe how pat she made everything at the end.

Wonderful conclusion to the series!.......2006-03-22

It was great fun reading the Velvet series. This is the series that began all of those other wonderful novels featuring gorgeous Montgomery men. I am glad the author became attached to the characters of this series and decided to create descendants from them. Velvet Angel is a wonderful conclusion to this series. In Velvet Song, Elizabeth Chatworth was wrapped inside a carpet and was delivered to Miles Montgomery naked. Miles Montgomery is the youngest of the brothers, only twenty years old, and women are his major weakness, which is why he is the father of numerous out-of-wedlock children. When he sees the beautiful, angelic Elizabeth, he falls in lust the moment he sees her. However, in spite of her delicate features, Elizabeth is far from docile. She wants to be returned to her brother Roger immediately, but Miles has other ideas. He wants to prove to her that the Montgomerys aren't the monsters that her brother has made them out to be. He wants her to learn about all of Roger's atrocities against his family. He also wants to get her into his bed, and then make her fall in love with him, as he is falling in love with her. It is no surprise that he is challenged by the only woman who doesn't swoon the moment she sees him. Elizabeth, frightened of men due to the bullying and abuse she suffered from her now dead sadistic older brother Edmund, doesn't want to fall in love with the enemy, especially the one who is most likely to break her heart. There are various twists throughout the novel.

For a while, I thought Miles was my second least favorite of the brothers (Gavin is my least favorite). After all, throughout the series we are told what a big playboy he is and how many children he has fathered throughout his many exploits. But it is nice to see that he is not the rake that I had originally thought he was. He loves his children and would have more if he could, and he is the proverbial knight in shining armor, always rescuing damsels in distress (this latter part of his personality had already been shown in the previous installments). He is sweet and attentive to Elizabeth, always kissing and touching her in a tender way, while she pushes him away or wipes away his kisses. She got on my nerves in the first few pages with all of those escape attempts. Ugh. But her attitude is understandable after the constant brainwashing she gets from Roger. I liked the development of protagonists' feelings and how she sees that the Montgomerys are honorable, loyal, sensual men. However, I thought her first sexual encounter with Miles was kind of abrupt. This is a woman who is wary of men and cannot stand the thought of a man touching her, yet she responds to Miles in a wanton way during that first encounter. Ah, well, at least her fear of men does not disappear altogether afterwards, although her erotic dance to create a diversion during one scene is also incongruous to her character. Anyway, I also liked the development of Roger. This character's many dimensions and complexities really impressed me. One thing I've always noticed about Jude Deveraux is that her characters have a great deal of depth, that they are not cardboard cutout characters. I thought the ending was hilarious and I loved the epilogue. I came to love these characters and I'm saddened to let them go. I should have savored this series and read them in a slower pace instead of reading the four books one right after the other. I love this series. It has become one of my favorite romantic series out there. I highly recommend everyone to read this wonderful collection, starting with The Velvet Promise, followed by Highland Velvet, Velvet Song and this one. You must read them in order.

Terrific story. I want to read the rest of the series........2006-02-09

Many reviews have been written detailing this story, so I will make my review short.

I've read Jude Deveraux before, and really enjoy her writing. That prompted me to buy "Velvet Angel." I didn't realize at the time, that it was the finale to a series. The characters were humorous and the story fast- paced from the very first page.

I gave the book 4 stars, instead of five, because a few things annoyed me:

The hero is quick to judge the heroine falsely over something that obviously was not her fault. For that, he banishes her from his life for a while. Luckily, it doesn't take too much of the story to reunite them.

Second, the characters were very typical. He's a powerful warrior who has had hordes of women. She is a sharp- tongued virgin. I still enjoyed reading about them, because they both were quite funny at times.

I will be reading the rest of the series. This one was definitely worth- while.

Nice finish to the Velvet Quarter.......2005-11-07

For years, the Montgomerys and Chatworths have been mortal enemies, a feud introduced to us in VELVET PROMISE. But nobody would have thought that a sick prank would turn out to be the best gift that the youngest brother, Miles Montgomery, could have ever received.

When Elizabeth Chatsworth helped Raine Montgomery's wife escaped the clutches of a sick lord, little did she know that she would find herself taken captive and presented to her enemy Miles Montgomery. But none was more shocked than the receiver himself. Miles couldn't believe his eyes when the carpet unrolls in front of him and out came a naked angel with enough attitude to scare off an entire army.

All her life, Elizabeth has only met men who tried to take advantage of her. Thus she has learned to defend herself and now faced with the enemy, she expects the worse to happen, not the kindness and patience that Miles has shown her from day one. Astounded, she begins to doubt whether what her brother Roger has told her about the Montgomerys was true at all. And the longer she spends time as his "captive", the more she realizes that Miles is different from the kind of men she has known and slowly loses her heart to him.

VELVET ANGEL is a fun-filled story providing a great ending to the Velvet series. It was great to learn more about Miles, a man who loves women so much that he cannot stand to see any woman hurt no matter what their status in life is. I liked seeing his relationship with his children and just how good a father he is to them. Seeing how patient he is with Elizabeth, realizing the anger that she has been carrying due to her unhappy life, is one of the things that just endeared him to me. As for Elizabeth, you will admire her courage and her love for children. They truly are the perfect match for each other.

Filled with entertainment, sensuality and wit, this is a wonderful finish to the saga of the Montgomery brothers. Jude Deveraux proves to us why so many readers have grown to love the Montgomerys. And with the appearance of the couples from the first three books, I guarantee that you will like this and enjoy how the family saga ends.

Average customer rating:

I have read almost all Kat Martin's novels
Routine.
A Keeper
good but no one "moment"
An Awesome Story, But....

Nothing But Velvet
Kat Martin
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0312962436

Book Description

From the depths of an English forest to glittering ballrooms to the scaffold's dark shadow, ride the path of temptation with Kat Martin....Lovely Velvet Moran has renounced all thoughts of love. To save her family from ruin, she will wed the hard-faced Duke of Carlyle. But instead of becoming a nobleman's bride, Velvet finds herself a notorious highwayman's prize-her resolve to escape his forest lair warring with the wicked heat sparked by his caresses.Falsely branded a murderer, Jason Sinclair has secretly returned to clear his name and stop the wedding that would deny him his stolen dukedom. In an outlaw masquerade, he'll kidnap this sensuous minx and detain her as long as is necessary. But can he bridle the surge of passion that has captured his soul....and could imperil them both?

Customer Reviews:

I have read almost all Kat Martin's novels.......2004-10-19

I have read a lot of her books. Recently I discovered, "Perfect sin, Wicked Promise, Silk and Steele, Nothing but Velvet, Fire Inside, Fanning the Flame, I was let down because of her inability to add versatility to her characters discriptions and looks. Her characters all shared similar personalities and all of the Heroines in these novels had the same shade of red hair and green eyes. The hero's all had brown hair, some grey but mainly blue eyes.

Maybe my mistake was in reading them one after another. But I can say I was disappointed, the storyline was at times unbelievable and just plain boring. After reading the first two novels the rest became so predictable. He or she was once incarcerated and are now being accused of a murder they did not committed. They meet, have sex, marry then she leaves him. BORING, even the sex scenes were the same in each book. My advice to readers read two of these books then just insert the names of the different characters from the other books in there place and BAM you have read all SIX!!!

Routine........2004-02-06

I'll go out on that well-known limb and take my stand, "This book was just ordinary." I suspect it would have made a good short story, but as a full length novel it suffered. The beginning was captivating, it held my attention, but somewhere along the way the story began to stumble. The book was too long for the ungarnished storyline.

The novel opens well - a duke callously murdered and his legitimate heir framed by an unscrupulous brother. The question the reader ponders throughout the book was "why?". What pressure, what insufferable issue, compelled a brother to hate and despise both his father and his sibling? Unfortunately, the author never answers the question.

Moving on, the novel continues to intrigue the reader. Years slip away and the falsely accused hero, Jason Sinclair, returns from the depths of misery. His mission: to clear his name, take back his realm title, regain his honor, and appreciate his freedom. To strengthen such a feat he must kidnap and imprison the novel's heroine, Velvet Moran. Now we have the recipe for spice -- a remote hunting lodge, two very attractive people, and hours of quality time together. Now this is the stuff for that long Canadian winter. But alas, the secluded adventure is short lived, unfulfilled, and sadly, the end of Martin's catchy storyline.

Kat Martin slides into the land of :
Our hero has a past. Our heroine doesn't care.
Our hero cannot love. Our heroine can.
Our hero cannot marry. Our heroine must marry.
Our hero does not want children. Our heroine does. And so on and so on.

"Nothing But Velvet", has the making of a grand short story found in an anthology collection.

Grace Atkinson, Ontario - Canada.

A Keeper.......2002-11-26

Some romance novels are keepers because they can be read again and still enjoyed. This is one of them. I have read several Kat Martin books and perfer her historicals, though I was vastly disappointed in "Nothing but Velvet's sequel, "Silk and Steel", which is the story of Lucien, Jason's friend and helper in clearing his name. I am not one who gives 5 stars often; to me, a 5 star rating is perfection, and this story did have a flaw or two, but still, I feel, a much better read then tons of romance books in stores today. Jason and Velvet make a great couple. In so many romances, the heroine is always fighting or tries to deny her sexual needs. That, thankfully, is not the case here. Velvet finds Jason as sexually appealing as he does her. I liked Lucien and he is a noble friend to Jason. At times, however, he is much smarter than Jason and so sometimes Jason appears to be like the classic gorgeous but dumb guy! Of course, to survive what he had to takes brains as well as brawn. My main issue with this story is the ending. Jason ends up with a noose around his neck and is saved. Well, that is okay but it is so rushed. It is like, hah? What is happening? Why is Lucien rushing to save him; what happend to bring the law down to save him when he was just convicted? It was too rushed and unclear. I hated when Velvet gave money to the poor semi-blind man and he tells her that her husband was innocent, yada, yada, yada. That was stupid. So the end was not great. I liked the epilogue, though. Nice way to end, knowing they had children, etc.

good but no one "moment".......2002-08-25

as nearly every other person who reviews a kat martin book they have usually gone through a number of her other books. it's the same case with me. i first picked up mrs. martin's book "the silent rose" and loved the steamy and passionate way she wrote her stories. the conflict and characters that clashed and came together with something a little more possesive than love, a little more conflicting than courtship. her books always have me turning the pages as fast as i can.

"Nothing but velvet" is the story of velvet moran, a paupered heiress in need of a wealthy husband to survive, and Jason Sinclair, the defamed duke framed for the murder of his father. Jason kidnaps Velvet to keep her from marrying his half brother Avery who we learn in the first few pages was the actual murdered of Jason's father. Everything leads from there as Jason searchs to clear his name and again and again ends up thrown together with velvet and a sexual tension that simmers just below the surface.

Though i liked this book i felt like there was no defining moment in this book. That one moment where everything clicks and both people realize, whether they admit it or not, that they care about the other person past simple lust. Jason is the classic tortured hero but the reader is left to wonder why he's so tortured until nearly the end of the book when it would have had far more impact earlier. Velvet is the naive but passionate heroine.

Martin's heriones are one of the reasons i so love her books. Her leading ladies are never afraid of their sexuality, even when they are portraited in eras as the 18th century. Velvet accepts Jason's desires and damn near seduces him herself several times. It's a refreshing change and something i wish i could see more of.

Though Velvet is almost overly naive and innocent or the "good" socital lady she's likeable and loyal. The only thing that truly bothered me in this book was that it was written in the time period of 18th century england. This is not a very common period to have a romance take place, at least in my experience. it was hard to imagine some of the places and dress and i found myself placing the characters in a regency setting instead. this was more my personal doings than any draw back from the book. i just have little experience with the history of that particular era.

All in all this was a book i don't regret reading. i will still continue to read kat martin's books and consider her a fine author.

An Awesome Story, But...........2002-05-06

Nothing But Velvet is the awesome love story of Jason Sinclair and Velvet Moran. Jason was wrongly accused of murdering his father the Duke of Carlyle, and, now eight years later, has come back to prove his innocence. He plots to kidnap his brother's betrothed "wealthy" heiress, Velvet. Jason soons discovers that even the best laid plans have a way of going awry when Velvet is nearby.

Velvet, the heroine, is forced to wed because her father wasted the family fortune. She poses as a wealthy heiress and captures the notice of Avery Sinclair. Velvet is set to marry him, when she is kidnapped by One-Eyed Jack Kincaid, the notorious highwayman. And even as she is afraid of him, she finds herself attracted to him in a way she never could imagine.

Overall, this story is awesome. There is adventure, romance, subplots, and all kinds of twists and turns. However, the book lagged in some places, and it took over 200 pages before we found out why Jason is the tortured hero and what happened to him during his eight-year imprisonment.

I just started reading Ms. Martin's books. My favorite so far has been Innocence Undone. I tend to measure the rest of her books by that one. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give this one a 4 or 4 1/2. It's not as good as Innocence, but it is still a great story.

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