Wicked Angel

Book Description

Forbidden love is always a scandalous choice....

She raced across the pasture, vaulted a fence, and landed, stunned and breathless, on top of the most handsome man she had ever seen. The bemused stranger stayed to capture the fancy of the brood of orphaned children in her charge, then stole Lauren Hill's heart with a searing kiss as he left. Lauren couldn't tell him she was a widowed countess fallen on hard times. She tried to forget him--until she saw him again at a London ball. The man who haunted her dreams was a duke, out of her class...and he was pledged to another woman.

The ton is ablaze with talk of the ravishing Bavarian countess. Stunned, Alexander Christian, Duke of Sutherland, recognizes Lauren as the country girl who's captured his heart. Duty has forced him to pledge himself to another, to take his proper place in society and in Parliament. He wants one night with his blue-eyed enchantress, but will he be able to walk away from her again, or will he risk it all to be with the woman who fires his blood and makes him think of a . . . Wicked Angel.

Customer Reviews:

Nothing Wicked In This Story...........2006-03-09

This is the first book by Julia London I have read. I was searching for some new authors to add to my collection and found her. Although I thought this book wasn't too bad for a first read...I must admit I enjoyed the beginning the best. The middle and end changed what was on course for a 4 star book down to a 3 star read.

Although nothing was really bad in this story...the characters changed behaviors in the middle of the book and what made them interesting and appealing at the start stopped. I didn't care for that. I liked that Lauren was an open hearted, kind, loving and happy country miss when our hero Alex first met her. Their time in the country was enjoyable as they were simply country folk meeting and enjoying their time together. No restrictions of titles, money, powerful families, or what the ton thought. They had fun walking, talking, riding, eating and playing with the orphans Lauren had taken in. There was only openness, laughter and joy. Once they ended up in the city together by the middle of the book, their appeal and attraction for one another continued but, the way they acted toward one another took a new direction. One I didn't care for. They started being argumentative, irritable, distant, haughty, and roped in by society restrictions. Yes...I know this is possible for the time but, it wasn't enjoyable to read.

Alex kept his engagement to a high ranking woman of society from Lauren and even once it came out, he continued to pursue Lauren even though he knew nothing could come from it. Alex pursued Lauren regardless how it looked to his family, friends, fiancé' or her family. I do like a hero to goes for what he wants. But... I didn't appreciate a hero who took most of the book to realize he cared for Lauren enough to break off his obligations to a woman he didn't love, a family he didn't want to be part of or work in government he didn't care for at times. I would have liked to see him wise up and do the right thing much earlier - it would have saved the constant back and forth attraction then arguments and fighting that ensued between him and Lauren until they worked things out.

The ending of the book fell flat for me. Reason: first Alex turns against all he had planned in his life and made a decision to love and honor and marry Lauren. He goes to her, confesses all and lays his heart on the line. She turns him away as now she has made choices and feels she must stand by them. Alex tries to right earlier wrongs but, Lauren won't give in. Alex leaves defeated. Lauren not longer after comes to her senses and is relieved of her promises and chases back after Alex and professes all to him - only to have Alex now turn her away. So back and forth it went. One loved, the other wouldn't forgive. Then one forgave and the other refused to love. It got tiring and a bit boring. It took Alex's mother to finally get the two to clear the air and make up. Glad to see two adult children still need "mommy" to make things right.

Once the ending came, I was glad to not have Alex call Lauren one more time, "My Angel", "My Wicked Angel" and so on. There was nothing angelic to Lauren nor wicked or naughty. This was a very silly nickname for his other half and I wish he would have stuck to her name and not silly endearments. It did nothing for me. Same with Lauren constantly quoting lines from historical stories/plays and books. It was a nice touch now and then...not all the time. Some things are better left in small doses.

There were some inconsistencies in the book but, not enough to make me stop reading. For one...Lauren pretty much acknowledged from the beginning that her first marriage was arranged by her family and to a man much, much older than her, senile and barely knew who she was during their time together. She made plain they didn't do "anything" and no heir came from their marriage. Yet later, Alex is shocked that he makes love to her and she is still a virgin. Wasn't he listening to her story earlier? Hello....tune in Alex! And...Lauren is constantly referred to as a forgein Countess of Bavaria while in the city and everyone knows it. Later...after Alex breaks off with his fiance' and rumors abound of his having an affair with a forgein countess, does anyone consider it Lauren and him? No...guess they are not to bright of a crowd after all. Also...Alex's finace' acted like this proper and timid thing yet she constantly went after Lauren to draw the boundaries and put her in her place. This was never addressed later on between any of the characters. Little things like this were off but, the book was still readable.

Although the love scenes were fine - nothing really moved me. The passages were written well and the action played out as planned. I just never felt the grand passion or desire the two felt between themselves. I think I started tuning out by the middle as I didn't care for their personality changes and the back and forth negative dialogue so...the love scenes lost impact along the way. That's too bad.

I think this author is talented and I will try reading one or two more books and see how she fares. I really liked the way her characters in this book began and just wish the gentleness, innocence and tenderness it began with would have stayed. That was refreshing. The way they went at each other later was not. I didn't need two shrill people taking root by the middle to end of this book. I want lovers not fighters.

I'm off to read another. Hopes it's a lot better.

Effective Angst-Ridden Romance.......2005-10-19

This is one of those romances where most of the book is comprised of the hero obsessing over the heroine. he tries to stay away from her but he can't, despite his engagement to another.

Lauren Hill is a wonderful heroine. She's loving, compassionate, enterprising, and strong-minded. She's a mature heroine by historical romance standards (early twenties as opposed to teens). She's also a widow who, having been married to an old man, is still a virgin. She knows its her duty to marry well in order to make sure her family is provided for, but she struggles to maintain a level of independence despite this. Her character was primarily the same throughout the book.

Alex Christian, Duke of Sutherland, is also awesome, but for different reasons. He started off as a man who was cool and in complete control of his emotions and actions. Everything he did was a deliberate move that wasn't done without thought as to how it would affect his future. His engagement was decided upon because he realized he needed an heir and his intended was the daughter of one of his political allies, so the union would make him more powerful as he tried to pass reforms. However, once he meets Lauren, he no longer can control his emotions and actions. He becomes totally obsessed with Lauren, and his passion is uncontrollable. I liked this aspect of the story because I love watching a man who was in complete control of his life be so blindsided by love that he doesn't know how to act and his yearning for her becomes unbearable.

This is a high emotion romance, with alot of yearning and angst on both sides. While there is a high level of sensual intensity and chemistry between the hero and heroine, there is actually very little sex here and it comes late in the book. It was satisfying for the most part, although I would have liked to see a more drawn out scene given the fact that I waited so long for it to take place.

Overall, this was not an easy novel to complete, primarily because both hero and heroine suffered greatly as a result of their feelings for each other. Although there was a happy ending, it did not come without alot of pain.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves reading romance novels with alot of angst and a hero who is obsessed with being with the heroine because he can't control his emotions when it comes to her.

Sigh...........2005-08-17

I LOVED this book. I have just discovered Julia London. I must have been living under a rock. Wicked Angel WAS an emotional roller coaster, and I felt all the pain and joy they did. I was so engrossed, I read it in a day.

My stomach fluttered from begining to end. The hero was betrothed to another, but was madly in love with the heroine. The heroine was desperately in need of money and needed to marry a rich man. She travels to London in her quest. The hero, is very jealous of her suitors, but as he is betrothed he has no say in her life.

How do they overcome this huge obstacle? This is a 5 star book. Well done J. London.

Good romantic read!.......2005-01-13

In spite of the fact that I had to skip a few very boring pages here and there - for the most part I enjoyed this story of Alex dealing with duty and honor verses following his heart to the only women he has ever loved Lauren Hill - the beautiful country miss that is all he has ever wanted in a woman -- I especially give high praise to Hannah Alex's mother - so often the mom's of this era are potrayed as stodgey mean and nasty only caring about tradition and family - this mother actually wanted her son to know love and be happy!! Looking forward to the other books in this series.

Pretty Good.......2004-10-30

This book is a nice romance that has a lot of inconsistencies; however, the writing is good and enjoyable, even though the characters' actions are a little implausible. My main complaint is that the plot, such as it is, really loses steam about three-fourths of the way through, so finishing this book is a bit tedious.

Sharper editing and closer attention to historical detail would have made this a much better book. That said, it's a nice afternoon's diversion if you are willing to overlook its flaws.

Wicked: An Angels Touch Romance (Angel's Touch)

Average customer rating:

5 stars plus
Much better then 2 stars
Same old, same old. Predictable.

Wicked: An Angels Touch Romance (Angel's Touch)
Evelyn Rogers
Manufacturer: Love Spell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0505520826

Amazon.com

Amy Lattimer would do anything to find her father--even pretend to be a fancy woman. But then she meets Cad Rankin, the mysterious former outlaw with a secret he won't share. Cad won't let Amy sell her body--but will he let her give it to him?

Customer Reviews:

5 stars plus.......2001-06-30

I'm not much of a paranormal reader, but I loved Wicked. It was the first book that I ever read by Rogers and it sure won't be the last. Wicked was heart welming and funny enough for you to laugh aloud. The heroine is charming and the hero is to die for. I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes a little wit and a lot of passion in their stories.

Much better then 2 stars.......2001-06-15

I was very surprised to see that this book only got 2 stars from the previous reviewer. While I agree, that this is not a spectacular Paranormal it was touching and warm. At moments, humorous and sad. I would like to recommend that you give the book a chance and draw your own conclusions.

Same old, same old. Predictable........1999-07-16

I've always been a sucker for paranormal romances but this book is nothing special. It was just something I read to help pass the time. This is the second book I've read that's an "Angel's Touch Romance" and I'm beginning to think that all the books under "Angel's Touch" promise a lot more than they actually deliver!

Wicked Angels (Southern Tier Editions) (Southern Tier Editions)

Average customer rating:

Translation is sloppy in beginning, good story though
"The true color of love is blood"
What price love?
Historically Important Novel: A Superb Translation of A Great Love Story

Wicked Angels (Southern Tier Editions) (Southern Tier Editions)
Eric Jourdan
Manufacturer: Harrington Park Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1560235489

Book Description

Two passionate adolescents—sharing a wicked love that transcends boundaries

Wicked Angels is the exquisite English translation of the classic 1955 French literary novel Les Mauvais Anges, banned for thirty years for what was called its 'subversive' subject matter. It is the story of Pierre and Gerard, two teenagers who share a love that no one else around them can condone. The two young men discover their destiny in each other's arms, their passion coupled with violence—and ultimately pay the price. The novel is a profoundly lyrical ode to adolescent love and sexuality, as well as a bold and elegant rejection of society's values while on the road to self-destruction.

Told in two parts, the poetic love story of Wicked Angels is first told by Pierre, then by Gerard. This erotic classic follows their passionate relationship as it builds in intensity, with affection between them punctuated with rough sex and tender romance. Pierre is handsome, introverted, jealous, and sadistic. Gerard is charming, roguish, intelligent, and vain. Together they form an imperfect union of all-encompassing love that is destined to fail.

Translator Thomas Armbrecht, PhD, helpfully includes an informative introduction that puts the novel into the proper context of the times and reviews the book's problems with censorship.

Excerpts from Wicked Angels:

Gerard took a slingshot out of his pocket, calmly picked up a pebble from the walk, aimed, and destroyed the first glass bell. The air filled with the sound of shattering crystal. I didn't protest; I was overcome. One after the other, each glass cover was broken. More than one, struck exactly in the middle, exploded like a landmine. I asked Gerard to leave the last one for me. He handed me his slingshot. I watched my stone hit the glass and reduce it to shards. Gerard grabbed me around the waist, trembling, his mouth humid with saliva, his fingers filled with earth.

Before us, the neat furrows were gone; it looked like a bomb had been dropped. Gerard wanted some sort of an apotheosis. He unscrewed a watering pipe, splashed about, and then opened the valves of the cistern. Rainwater spewed out in torrents, drowning the seedlings, carrying the glass debris across the garden. A miniature tulip planted between the red currant bushes and the tool shed started to drown. Gerard's shirt, covered with spray and wet to the shoulder, stuck to his flesh. Its transparency revealed his skin. Getting up, he burst out laughing: "And that's not all, citizen!" he said to me, "On to the Bastille!" The Bastille was what we called the Decazes' pigeon house. We had to cross two vegetable gardens to get to their yard and to the slate-covered tower where they raised hunting birds.

And:

My heart beating, I dashed out into the hall. My cousin's voice surged forward from the depths of me, climbing into my chest and putting all of his words of love into my mouth. Their violence intoxicated me. I knocked on his door. Everything was still, and yet I could tell he was close, on the other side of the door, his head pressed against the wood. I could have drawn the outline of his body, so strongly did I sense it pressed against the door that I vainly wanted him to open. He revealed himself with every exhalation. His breath was so close that his lips had to be on the door. I kissed the wall passionately, and threw myself against it. We were like two lovers separated by a prison wall, more visible to each other now than in the suffocation of their kisses, showing more love here than through their gestures of love.

Wicked Angels lives on as a passionate and ultimately tragic story of extreme and ill-fated love that transcends conceptions of gender, youth, and class in society.

Customer Reviews:

Translation is sloppy in beginning, good story though.......2007-09-11

Please be patient as you start the book, the translation gets much better as the book progresses. Good story, good characters, a good read. An entry in our book club, most members enjoyed it though all thought the translation was real sloppy in the beginning. Recommended as a quick read.

"The true color of love is blood".......2006-10-31

'Wicked Angels' was first published in France in 1955, and was shortly thereafter banned until 1985. Given the viciously repressive times in which we live, it should no longer come as a surprise that such a incredibly beautiful work has been denied to us for so long. Fortunately, this outstanding novel - the only one of Eric Jourdan's to have been translated thus far - is now available to the English-speaking world, courtesy of this exquisite translation by Dr Thomas Armbrecht. Dr Armbrecht provides a fascinating and concise introduction to the novel, which readers might be advised to ponder at leisure after reading the the main work.

Like the history of its publication, 'Wicked Angels' is a tragic tale; its relevancy is timeless and universal. A very difficult novel to categorise, it simultaneously combines the heartfelt longings of a Shakespearean sonnet with the crushing nihilism of....well, almost anything written by Dennis Cooper. It is the story of two young men of seventeen, cousins bound by circumstance upon the death of both their mothers. The prose is breathtaking in its portrayal of their fateful love for one another, narrated from each boy's point of view. It is a mark of the author's great talent that this novel was written when he himself was seventeen - who better to appreciate the tormented passion of first love?

The tempestuousness of this love is evoked on every page, with the frequent allusion to the couple's surroundings invoking the capricious and cruel force of nature as the only adequate comparable. Thus, after a particularly violent episode between the boys, the wind rages, "filled with the smell of trees and the earth", and "all of nature was trembling". The novel is intensely erotic - as befits its subject-matter - without being obviously so; that is to say that the detailed descriptions, the choice of language, and its employment, vividly generate their own lavish images without the need for resorting to the more vulgar repetition of crudities devalued by over-use. This eroticism contrasts beautifully with frequent cruelties - bestowed mentally by society, and physically by the boys themselves; it becomes all too apparent "just how much more violent love can be than hate, and how the true color of love is blood".

An unforgettable and stunning work capturing the self-destructiveness of true passion, finally available in print. Unmissable.

What price love?.......2006-07-29

This is an extraordinary book. I wish that I had the original French and the English translation side by side. In the introduction there is a suggestion that the book is ultimately homophobic since the two boys die - as if in punishment for what they did. I do not agree: I think that they had to die in the same way that Romeo and Juliet had to die. The boys' love for each other was so deep and so unearthly that they could not remain alive. What was to live for after what they had been through? A more interesting question is whether the love that the two boys had for each other could ever be realized in the "real" world. Probably, but too few of us will ever experience it. Read this book and you will have some idea of what is meant by "all-consuming love."

Historically Important Novel: A Superb Translation of A Great Love Story.......2006-06-03

Eric Jourdan's 'Les mauvais anges' was first published in 1955, in French, in France, and was censored and taken off the market until 1985. That a love story between two teenage boys would be considered taboo seems strange in today's light, but the superb translator, Thomas J.D. Armbrecht, of this volume WICKED ANGELS addresses those issues in a fine introduction, a fascinating history of censorship of literature in France, the list of those having been condemned for their writing includes Flaubert and Baudelaire and also Gide, Genet, Henry Miller, Jean Cocteau among others. These facts, well written and documented, are analyzed by Armbrecht. Apparently the censorship not only condemned gay love between adolescents, it also found the sadomasochistic elements of the story unprintable. So what of the novel? Is it worth exhuming, is it worth reading? For this reader the answer is a resounding 'Yes!'.

The brief novel (a mere 120 pages) concerns a summer of love between two cousins - Pierre and Gerard - whose fathers' wives are gone and the families live together. The story is related in two versions: half the novel is 'Pierre's Story' and the other half is 'Gerard's Story'. Jourdan essentially relates a summer of love as perceived through the eyes of each of the lovers. And the variations are extremely important. Both lads are seventeen, both are beautiful, and are drawn to each other as their hormones mount. In exquisite prose, Jourdan creates atmospheres of lust and ecstasy, bringing the two young men together in secret trysts, trysts that grow from curious encounters to complete interdependence, a love that is palpably strong enough to withstand the forces against it - beatings from the fathers and from the neighboring cousins. As Pierre and Gerard walk in the ether of first passion their spectrum of physical exploration begins to include elements of sadomasochism: physical pain inflicted by each other is as intensely erotic as is gentle caressing. 'There was a wall of flesh erected between us in which love took refuge'. As this aspect of their affair emerges they begin to plan a way to flee their families and live their lives together on the run. At this point Jourdan changes course and begins 'Gerard's Story' which not only enhances the version of the affair as related by Pierre, but it also introduces some concepts and perceptions that alter the manner in which the story finds its end. 'Memory is a powerful magic that has the power to transform even the most painful moments.'

This novel may not be for every reader: it is explicit, it is erotic, it is frank in its description of pain. But for those who follow the history of gay literature and its trials of acceptance, this little novel is essential reading. Jourdan is a gifted writer, though none of his other nine novels have been translated. Hopefully this excellent translation by Armbrecht will find enough readers that there will be a demand for further translations of Jourdan's works. Grady Harp, June 06

Average customer rating:

Poor Ersatz Allegory
An intriguing look at sociopathy

Wicked Angel (Fawcett Crest Book, R848)
Taylor Caldwell
Manufacturer: Amereon Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0884111679

Customer Reviews:

Poor Ersatz Allegory.......2000-12-23

Angelo Saint was described as the prototypical psychopath, that is, "born without a soul." An overindulged only child, Angelo has his devoted mother wrapped around his finger while his more practical father Mark, looks on with horrified wonder from the sidelines. Angelo intensely detests his maternal Aunt Alice, who recognizes his social disorder from the start.

Although this is not a diagnostic book, I did feel the description of a psychopath was quite poor. The time sequence is off. For example, the book opens in 1957 with the then 4-year-old Angelo and closes with an epilogue set at the end of 1964. In Chapter 5, the boy's Aunt Alice tells Mark, the boy's father about a pupil named Kennie she had whose father killed his wife with their son as a witness two years prior to her teaching him. Since that was in 1959, how could the father have killed his wife two years prior and then been executed prior to killing her? In Chapter 10, Kennie's father was reported to have killed his wife on June 5, 1959 and was executed on January 5, 1959. How can his death predate his crime and conviction?

At the opening of the story, Angelo, then 4, expresses deep rage at Alice and this rage is manifested in bouts of wetting accidents. He then attacks Alice by smashing the contents of her purse; he destroyed her sunglasses; used her handerkerchief as toilet paper and flushed some of her money down the toilet. His loving, but foolish mother Katherine condones his actions by insisting it was just a childish prank. Mark, however, punishes Angelo.

Over the years, Angelo's cruelties become more subtle and clever. At 6, he discreetly kills a pet dog (which Alice discovers when she visits her sister's family at their summer place in 1959); he frightens away the birds and woodland creatures, viewing them as "weak enemies," and he nearly kills Alice by pushing her over a cliff. Luckily, she is saved, but does not testify against her nephew.

Alice has a crush on Mark which comes as no surprise. (Can't you just hear 1959's "Theme from a Summer Place" playing in the background?) During that summer of 1959, she tells him about a pupil she has who is Angelo's overdrawn literary opposite. Kennie, the orphan whom Alice endorses has been placed with a couple after the boy's father killed his wife in 1959. Alice tells Mark that the boy became an orphan two years earlier, which meant Kennie would have been orphaned in 1957.

Angelo is described as physically large for his age, stunning in appearance and mentally gifted. Despite his natural endowments, he is rather primitive and immature, still given to uncontrollable outbursts of rage and physical attacks on Katherine.

At 10, Angelo has perfected the dark art of subtle cruelty. He nearly poisons a housekeeper because she senses he is not the "Angel Saint" (as Katherine calls him) after all; he hounds a classmate out of his prestigious prep school (yes, Kennie which should surprise no one); he pit people against one another and broke a teacher's arm "accidentally" during a school football game. He uses charm to get out of every difficulty and has all, but these few, whom he has hurt fooled.

Angelo thinks of how easy it is to fool "weak women," and the thought of being sent to a military boarding school per Mark's suggestion is abhorrent to him because "strong men" would make him toe the line. Overindulged and fed with a sense of entitlement, Angelo is incredibly immature. He does not appear to be sophisticated and relies on childish guile to charm people.

When Katherine becomes pregnant with a second child in 1963, she senses that it is wise not to tell Angelo. He pesters her for information about why she is going to the doctor and once he discovers her secret, kills the unborn child, Katherine and later perishes. Even his death is bizarre -- he trips down a flight of steps only to land on his head on the marble floor below. Katherine later dies in the hospital, confiding to Alice that she really knew what an evil son she truly had.

The cliches that bothered me was the boy's name, Angelo Saint. This is obviously a contradiction of his character, which was truly evil. As bad as the misaligned time sequence was, I also disliked the obvious coincidences, like Angelo and Kennie (Alice's protege) ending up as classmates and Mark later meeting Kennie with Alice.

There were some unrealistic parts to the story, such as Angelo being able to gain access to Kennie's records and copy them for the class to read. I also didn't buy an employment agency for maid service giving Mark the address of the family where one of his former maids was working. What about confidentiality? That doesn't sound ethical or realistic. I also didn't like it when the maid lied to Mark about checking on a roast. It was a very weak and transparent dodge.

The time misalignment was bad enough, but I really didn't like the sexist comments, e.g. "he screamed like a girl." I also didn't like the way Katherine's second pregnancy was criticized because of her age. Alice was a little too straitlaced and overdrawn and, at times, seemed insincere. She mouthed inanities, such as "Mark's clever hand." Since when is a hand clever? I also didn't like it when she said "don't laugh" after she complained to Mark about inadequacies in the education field. Mark was NOT laughing - he was listening to her and taking her diatribe seriously!

Katherine was overly effusive in her expressions and was singularly foolish. Mark and his friend, Dr. Whiteside were the only real sympathetic characters save for Angelo's victims.

This book seemed quite sexist even by 1965 standards.

An intriguing look at sociopathy.......2000-08-14

This is a very different type of story than one would expect from Taylor Caldwell. It deals with the premise that a person born without a soul (or conscience) is as handicapped as a person born without arms or legs. Since most people believe that heredity and environment have everything to do with the way a child develops socially, this story is a true horror story. The young mother in the story becomes gradually aware that her beautiful little son is different in an alarming way. It contrasts her growing concerns with the way her son is developing and her husband's opinion that it is her mothering skills that are lacking. This is a truly frightening story which the reader will compare to "the Bad Seed" or "Rosemary's Baby" A very short, easily readable book that was ahead of it's time as a psychological look at a true sociopath..

Average customer rating:

Wicked Angels
Michele Hauf
Manufacturer: Dreams Unlimited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM

Vampires | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1892520176

Book Description

In the stunning sequel to Dark Rapture, Vince Lyons asks for Scarlet's help in translating some old diaries, hoping they'll reveal his past. Scarlet agrees, but for her own reasons. Vince was "in-born" to vampirism and she hopes to uncover truths about the lifestyle she shares with her one true love, Sebastian. After all, there must be more than simply needing blood, mustn't there?

Average customer rating:

Poor Quasi Allegory - Cliches Revisited

Wicked Angel

Manufacturer: Fawcett Crest Book
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000EDSQWW

Customer Reviews:

Poor Quasi Allegory - Cliches Revisited.......2006-04-09

Average customer rating:

Ersatz Allegory

Wicked Angel
Taylor Caldwell
Manufacturer: Fawcett Crest Book
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000ME8PYW

Customer Reviews:

Ersatz Allegory.......2007-07-30

Average customer rating:

Refreshingly Original Historical Romance!
The Story Moves Along At A Fast Pace & Is Very Easy To Read
Refreshing Regency
Delicious tale of friendship and love!!!
Powerful Regency tale

Wicked Angel
Shirl Henke
Manufacturer: Leisure Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 084394854X

Customer Reviews:

Refreshingly Original Historical Romance!.......2003-12-04

"Wicked Angel" is an unusually original romance set against the backdrop of the War of 1812. Miss Jocelyn Angelica Woodbridge, (Joss), is the plain, ungainly daughter of a Methodist preacher. She is known as "Holy Hannah" by the ton, as she would much rather work nursing London's destitute and reforming her fallen sisters than taking her place in society. Her father is the 2nd son of an earl who was disowned by his family when he left the Church of England and married a governess.

During a brawl on the London docks, started by one of Rev. Woodbridge's sermons, Joss is saved from being trampled by Alexander Blackthorne, a newcomer to England. Alex, the American son of an English noblewoman and her Muskogee Indian husband, has been sent to live with his mother's people to reform his rowdy ways and become a gentleman. Alex is immediately drawn to Joss' intelligence, wit and unconventionality. She is smitten at first glance by his tall good looks and kindness. A fast friendship forms between the two. However, Joss accepts her plain, gawky appearance and understands that Alex can never love her as a woman - especially as he has most of London's females, society ladies and Cyprians, at his feet. The two seem to continuously get into humorous and dangerous scrapes from which they rescue each other, until Joss finds herself in a terrible predicament that may be impossible to escape. True to form, Alex comes to the rescue with a most unusual proposal. And the excitement, steamy and otherwise, really begins.

Shirl Henke has written a delightful romance, one of her best. The novel clips along at a nice pace. Her characters, from the hero and heroine to their friends, family and enemies, are wonderful and very original. The subplot, the War of 1812 and the British plans to woo the American Creek and Seminole Indians to their side is fascinating. Ms. Henke's research is impeccable. "Wicked Angel" is light entertainment at its best.
JANA

The Story Moves Along At A Fast Pace & Is Very Easy To Read.......2001-06-06

A gawky preacher's daughter, Jocelyn Angelica Woodbridge was hardly the type to incite street brawls, much less two in one day. "Holy Hannah," as those of the ton called her, would much rather nurse the sick or reform the fallen. Yet ever since a dashing American saved her from an angry mob, Joss's thoughts had turned most impure.

The son of an American Indian and an English aristocrat, Alexander Blackthorne had been sent to England for some "civilizing." But the only lesson he cared to learn were those offered by taverns and trollops. When a marriage of convenience forced Jocelyn and Alex together, Joss knew she would need more than prayer to make a loving husband of her WICKED ANGEL.

The story moves along at a fast pace and is very easy to read. It captures your attention from the first page and doesn't let go until the last. The characters are strong and likeable. It is definitely worth every penny and you won't regret reading it.

Refreshing Regency.......2001-05-16

Alex Blackthorne is sent from America to England by his parents to visit his mother's aristocratic family and tame his roguish behavior. There he meets Jocelyn Woodbridge, preacher's daughter, and the two become friends. Though Joss is in love with Alex, he fails to see the woman behind the drab clothing, and he continues on with his wild ways, bewitching English women with his American Indian heritage.

Circumstances lead Alex to marry Joss to form a union in name only. Alex finds difficulty in keeping to the original terms of the bargain when he uncovers the beautiful woman that he has married. Their marriage must endure further tests as they return to America, and Joss meets some of Alex's Indian relatives.

The depth of these two main characters makes this a very enjoyable read. Neither hero or heroine are perfect-both are very likeable, human characters with believable flaws. Though Joss' initial appearance is rather dowdy, Alex finds that he is attracted to her anyway and later discovers that it wasn't her beauty initially that drew him to her, but her compassionte character, a rare find in a genre where beauty is almost everything. Readers will definitely want to explore LOVE A REBEL...LOVE A ROGUE, the story of Alex's parents.

Delicious tale of friendship and love!!!.......2001-04-23

Wicked Angel is a marvelous story. Jocelyn "Joss" Woodbridge has a giving heart for less fortunate people. She works at the local charity hospital, teaches impoverished children and helps out her street preacher father with his missionary work. Joss is quite satisfied with her life, that is until the exotic, golden haired American, Alex Blackthorne crashes into her life. Back in America Alex enjoyed a life of gambling, pursuing tavern wenches and participating in legendary brawls. Why should England be any different? He wastes no time getting himself into trouble when he rescues the prim preacher's daughter from harm. Joss and Alex quickly grow into firm friends. Alex enjoys Joss's gentle sense of humour, her intelligence, compassionate nature and her hilarious ability for getting herself into trouble at every turn. Joss finds in Alex a very good friend but soon her feelings change. She begins to look forward to his infrequent friendly visits. Her breath catches at his charming smiles and when she sees him in the company of sophisticated and beautiful women, Joss's blood boils with jealousy. Unfortunately Alex doesn't even notice her, except as a friend. When tragedy strikes, Jocelyn is forced into a marriage of convenience ... with Alex. Can Joss's Wicked Angel give her the love she craves? Or will friendship be all that will ever be between them? Shirle Henke weaves a delicious tale of friendship and love amidst an intriguing plot laced with English and American history in the early 1800's. Wicked Angel is a definite keeper. Three cheers for Shirle Henke for entertaining us with another fabulous read.

Powerful Regency tale.......2001-04-11

Half Muskogee and half-English aristocrat, Alexander Blackthorn leaves Coweta, Georgia to spend time in London. The simpering women of the Ton leave Alex cold. That is until he rescues Jocelyn "Joss" Woodbridge from an unruly mob threatening her preacher father.

Joss is so different than the ladies he has met, as she is intelligent, braver, and taller than those that have turned Joss off from his English heritage. Soon Alex and Joss begin to become better acquainted and they begin to fall in love. However, before their love can firmly cement, they are forced to marry even as a second war of independence between the two Anglo nations separated by the ocean is imminent and threatening to destroy their relationship.

WICKED ANGEL is clever blending of humor, romance, and history into a powerful Regency tale. The story line is fast-paced, filled with amusing moments, and loaded with tidbits that anchors the time and place without slowing the plot one iota. The two delightful lead characters and a strong secondary mix leaves the audience with another powerfully entertaining Shirl Henke novel to savor.

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