The Hellion Bride

Book Description

Fall in love again-with the second novel in the Bride saga.

Sophia has successfully controlled every man in her orbit until she meets Ryder Sherbrooke, a man she senses is different from the others-a man she sees as one of hell's own sons.

Customer Reviews:

What a waste of hours of my life........2007-06-19

I wanted to like Ryder. I kind of liked him in The Sherbrooke Bride. As I've mentioned in my reviews of the other 2, I bought these all together and for some insane reason felt a compulsion to finish them. I will forever regret that choice. I have a surprisingly good memory and surprisingly good reading comprehension, so unfortunately I remember waaaay too much of Ms. Coulter's books now.

I don't know how much I'd classify the sex here as "rape" (coercion definitely, but there is a difference). There was obvious rape in The Heiress Bride, but the only actual rape I thought occurred in this book was actually perpetrated against Ryder by the prostitute and Sophia and her uncle.

I have more a problem with the fact that Ryder was more upset that Douglas saw Sophia naked than by the fact that his wife had just run scared from the room because of her husband's "love making". Douglas, who claims to have felt the same type of compassion for Sophia as he does for his own wife (which was pretty darn low, so maybe that explains it), just hands her back to Ryder despite the fact that she was in a panic and bloody.

Ryder was not considerate of Sophie on any level. A person who has suffered from physical abuse, manipulation, coercion, etc. is going to be a bit frightened and traumatized. What's the best way to keep her in line? Threaten to beat her, of course! He does that numerous times. He is not compassionate to her in any of their interactions (as people or sexually).

Seems to me that the whole book was about Ryder trying to control her and Sophia trying to fight off her fears of that control after having been abused for so long. I cannot think of one redeeming quality in their "relationship", let alone any indication of why they would "love" each other.

I can honestly and truly say that having read the first 3 books of the "Bride" series, I will never, ever, ever read a Catherine Coulter book again, and I will seriously recommend that none of my friends or even mere acquaintances do, either. We must put a stop to the belief that abusive and manipulative "heroes" are acceptable, and that rape scenes are somehow erotic. THIS is the type of "romance" novel that is a danger for young girls to read. It will give the impression that these interactions are somehow "normal" in any way shape or form.

Sherbrooke Bride outshines this one by a mile........2007-03-30

I loved Sherbrooke Bride. I felt Ryder deserved an equally fascinating heroine and storyline. Instead the characters are flat, one dimensional drones. Sophie, the heroine is useless. The plot was thin and Coulter, obviously struggling for ideas, just fluffed most of the chapters with nonsense. I get the feeling she was in a rush to complete the trilogy and her heart and usual talent did not surface with this piece of writing. YUK. I'm generously giving her two stars because overall I enjoy this author. I couldn't wait for Hellion to end and had to struggle to finish it. Usually her pace is great and her novels are page turners. Disappointing.

The Hellion Bride by Catherine Coulter.......2007-01-13

I have enjoyed reading the Bride series. My only major complaint is that romance novels do not have to be filled with sex to make them good. There is too much in this book and I believe it would have been just as good without it. The characters are so well written that it takes away from the story line. FYI: Lynn Kurland is an author that can write an excellent romance novel without writing the sexual incounters.

Barbaric.................2006-08-22

This is the second disturbing book I have read by Coulter. Her novels seem to be riddled with abuse; both mental and physical.

If you're looking for a fairytale romance or any romance at all skip this book. This book was about an Englishman who goes to the Carribean to investigate ghosts/spirits haunting his brother's property. That storyline flatlines and instead Coulter focuses on this odd, completely disturbed, man-hating young lady that is forced to wed the Englishman for her own protection. That sounds heroic, but trust me it's not.

There is absolutely nothing in this novel that makes you want to keep reading further.

HISTORICAL ROMANCE FANS WILL RELISH THIS.......2006-01-18

Fans of Catherine Coulter's Bride series will be delighted to hear the vixen/innocent Sophia come alive through this accomplished reading by British native Anne Flosnik. Listeners will be more than entertained by her articulate performance as she brings a cast of disparate characters to life.

As many remember, the Bride series began with the Sherbrooke Bride in which we met Douglas Sherbrooke, the Earl of Northcliffe. Tall, dark, and handsome? Of course, as is Ryder Sherbrooke whom we meet in The Hellion Bride. He's a lady killer if there ever was one. A typical love 'em and leave `em type who is used to having the gentler sex melt before him.

Now, gentler sex is not a description one thinks of in regard to Sophia. While she's not yet 20, she's apparently a woman of the world who is used to having her own way. Gossips say that at her tender age she already has three lovers. She lives in Jamaica, home of the Sherbrooke Sugar Plantation. Ryder has come to the Plantation to put an end to rumors of supernatural goings-on.

As it turns out, supernatural forces are nothing compared to Sophia. Will Ryder tame her or will she be the conquering heroine?

Historical romance fans will relish The Hellion Bride, with sex, secrets, and romance aplenty.

- Gail Cooke

Uncivilized Beasts and Shameless Hellions: Travels with an NPR Correspondent

Average customer rating:

John Burnet is a gifted writer
Intermittently Interesting
Consistently engaging
Great read!
The Stories You Never Heard Behind The Stories You Heard

Uncivilized Beasts and Shameless Hellions: Travels with an NPR Correspondent
John F Burnett
Manufacturer: Rodale Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1594863040
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Book Description

As a radio journalist whose work appears regularly on Morning Edition and All Things Considered, John F. Burnett has reported from the Branch Davidian standoff and the Kosovo conflict. He has covered the drug wars in Central America; been embedded in a Marine Division in Iraq; and weathered Hurricane Katrina, breaking news hourly on the conditions in New Orleans. And he was one of NPRs lead reporters on 9/11 and its aftermath. But no matter how much time Burnett has on the air to report his storiesand how expertly he has done sothere are always valuable details that arent mentioned. Now he fills in those rich tidbits, letting us witness the parts of the stories that remained offthe air. In Uncivilized Beasts and Shameless Hellions, Burnett exposes the hilarious moments, bizarre encounters, dangerous highways, insufferable colleagues, and unsung heroes hes known through his adventures as an NPR reporter. The result is a revealing and personal account that will fascinate not only NPR listeners but also anyone interested in the state of our world today and how the media covers it.

Customer Reviews:

John Burnet is a gifted writer.......2007-03-31

I couldn't put John Burnett's book down. It gives you a behind the scenes, human look at recent events like Katrina, Iraq, Guatemala. His writing is smooth as silk.

Intermittently Interesting.......2007-02-19

This book by veteran NPR reporter Burnett is divided into three sections which really boils down to two: seven places you wouldn't want to be and four human interest stories. The seven places are: immediate post-Katrina New Orleans, heading into Iraq for Gulf War II, the early '90s Branch Davidian standoff outside Waco, Guatemala's 1983 coup, post-ethnic cleansing Kosovo, immediate post 9/11 Peshawar (Pakistan), and immediate post-Taliban Afghanistan. To be sure, anyone who's likely to buy a book like this probably pays attention to the news, and is probably reasonably well informed about these various events (Guatemala being the most obscure). However, Burnett is less interested in retelling the specific details of each of these incidents than he is in reflecting upon them, especially how the media (himself included) reported on them.

Certainly, the opening piece, on the aftermath of Katrina is chock full of the sights and smells of the wreckage, but it's his personal reactions that make it worth reading. the Iraq piece is rather less effective, as he lukewarmly admits the inherent problems of being embedded. The Waco "incident" is particularly worth of reexamination, and Burnett's exploration of the semantics of the story are a nice basic case study in the pitfalls of journalism. The Guatemala chapter is very good, as Burnett weaves the story of his unlikely presence as a stringer (with his wife) with the sorry tale of Guatemala's brutal counterinsurgency campaign (which killed more people than the vastly better known cases of Nicaragua and El Salvador combined). The chapters on Kosovo, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are briefer and much more pedestrian pieces about life as a foreign correspondent. While definitely of interest to those fascinated by the mechanics of how foreign news is gathered and reported on the ground, these chapters aren't as compelling. While they are commendable for shining the spotlight on support staff like translators and facilitators, readers looking for a really interesting version of similar material should seek out Joe Sacco's "The Fixer."

The four human interest stories that round out the book are perfectly serviceable examples of the genre, but not essential reading. The first covers a Texas death row chaplain, both during his duties, and then ten years after his retirement. It touches on the usual death penalty debate topics, but doesn't offer anything particularly new. "The Bull Killer" is about a legendary Mexican bullfighter, and, quite frankly, the piece is highly romanticized and the one part of the book where Burnett utterly loses his way (he says up front that he's always been fascinated by bullfighting). One doesn't have to be an animal rights supporter to see through the hypocrisy of those who wax poetic about the the wonderful character and spirit of a bull, and then turn around and ritually kill it for the entertainment of others. Next is a fairly forgettable piece about a Honduran pioneer in small-scale sustainable agriculture. Rounding things out is a piece about how a chance encounter with a an elderly street musician in Mexico City led to Burnett's trying to get him royalties for a recording of him.

In the end, the individual events and people covered are no more or less interesting than any good newspaper or magazine story. Where the book gets interesting is in those episodes where Burnett is rethinking how he acted in the role of reporter and how a story was framed. So read it for these occasional moments of insight into the profession.

Consistently engaging.......2007-02-01

A consistently engaging set of accounts of major recent newsworthy events from the author's perspective. It's interesting to see the story behind the news headlines from such places as post-Katrina New Orleans, Waco, and post 9/11 Pakistan and Afghanistan, each told with wit and intelligence.

His account of Guatemala during the 1980s is a highlight. A great blending of the facts around what the government sponsored terrorism and the personal impact it had on people there, including eventually himself.

The stories on some of the "heroes" in the second half of the book seem a bit flat. And there's a question of how journalism maintains it's humanity in the midst of so much human horror which gets asked but not satisfyingly answered. But those are small nits for an otherwise great book.

Great read!.......2007-01-20

A riveting first hand account of this NPR correspondent's experiences/observations at such events as Waco, Katrina, Kosovo,Iraq, Afghanistan, and more. Having heard John Burnett speak in person I was eager to read his accounts. I was not disappointed.

The Stories You Never Heard Behind The Stories You Heard.......2007-01-09

His voice is as familiar as his name but there are only so many words you can put on the air in regular broadcast. These stories tell how he got the stories you heard. Part of John's challenge is simply blending in. A reporter tries hard to be invisible, to not become a part of the story, to fit into the story environment and simply report what he sees. At 6'7", that's a tall order. Invisibility is especially important when they locals are shooting as outsiders and many of John's stories had that danger.

Well-told, these stories need to be heard.

The Last Hellion (Avon Romantic Treasure)

Average customer rating:

Buy this book now!!
Author has a great writing style
Excellent story...I was completely hooked
Light, funny - wonderfully romantic !!
Funny, romantic story from an excellent author

The Last Hellion (Avon Romantic Treasure)
Loretta Chase
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0380776170

Amazon.com

In 1820s England, 28-year-old Lydia Grenville is a few inches under six feet tall and mind-numbingly beautiful. Clever as well as gorgeous, she is the author of a London newspaper's most popular adventure serial and has also penned scathing articles about the prostitution trade in the city. Her less-than-ladylike occupation, checkered past, and questionable lineage make it highly unlikely that she will ever marry a member of the Regency ton. However, in keeping with a long legacy of hell-raising ancestors, Vere Mallory, the notorious Duke of Ainswood, has a reputation for flaunting society's dictates. Besides, one look at Lydia and he loses his heart, although at the time, it doesn't occur to him that love is what he feels. He terms it lust and sets out to bed the beautiful Lydia.

What follows is an endearing, hilarious contest of wills between a woman determined to hold her heart and body safe, and a man just as determined to conquer her. In a final, winner-takes-all contest, Lydia and Vere come to terms, but neither is sure just who won and just who lost the wager. Is it possible they may both come out winners? Meanwhile, Lydia's very public crusade against the worst offenders in the city's illegal prostitution business has earned her dangerous enemies. Just when it seems that Vere and Lydia may resolve their personal contest of wills, the dark forces at work in the seamier side of London threaten not only Lydia, but also Vere's beloved nieces.

The Last Hellion has a cast of well-drawn characters who play out their scenes against a backdrop of Regency England that's both lushly rich in descriptions of the wealthy and darkly gritty when traveling the back streets where poverty rules.

Book Description

She Needed to be Tamed . . .

She was a breathtaking firebrand, and Vere Mallory, the notorious Duke of Ainswood, had never seen anything like her. Although he thought he was rescuing Lydia Grenville from the cluches of a renowned wastrel, he quickly discovers she is angry at his interference! Amused by the sultry hell-cats's fury, Mallory vows to teach her some humility -- in life and in love.

He Was Just the Man to Do It.

Lydia Grenville was fuming. She was determined to save womankind from disreputable rakes like the infamous Mallory, not to succumb to his scandelous charms. She finds herself overwhelmed by the scintillating sensations he brings to her body, but when she discover's that he has bragged that he's going to "tame" her, Lydia vows to fight his advances . . . but nothing prepares her for the surrender she finds in his arms.

Customer Reviews:

Buy this book now!!.......2007-04-29

This is probably the best romance novel you will ever read. It will re grow your hair, give you pre-baby hips and give you super white teeth. Okay, maybe not. But it is a great book by a great writer. You won't be disappointed (well that it ended- but the world isn't perfect).

Author has a great writing style.......2006-11-28

The prologue was depressing and I was wondering where the author was going to go from there. I was pleasantly surprised. I really like Loretta Chase' writing style. Full of humor & wit! I really enjoyed this book and think this author has a great way with words.

She had me wondering at first how Vere was going to convince us he had any redeeming qualities. I didn't like him at all at first. He did grow on me. I enjoyed both lead characters & the supporting cast. I even liked the dog. This book is a very enjoyable read!

Excellent story...I was completely hooked.......2006-01-02

Dickens would be proud of this captivating story with its twists and turns and family secrets, and a hero and heroine who must come to terms with their troubled pasts before they can be truly happy. Lydia Grenville, raised in poverty, lost her mother and sister as a child and was then abandoned by her wastrel father. She is now a crusading journalist for a popular London publication, and doesn't think very highly of men. Vere Mallory, Duke of Ainswood has his own turbulent history. His parents died when he was nine, and he is the last of his direct line, whose male heirs have all succumbed to untimely deaths. Since the death eighteen months ago of the previous Duke, his boy cousin, Vere has essentially been in a state of depression and denial. He has led a life of dissipation, shirking his responsibilities to his title and to his young female cousins who are his wards. He does not think very highly of women.

The meeting of the two opposing forces of Vere and Lydia is a wonder to behold. At times highly humorous, at times deeply moving, the dialogue is always engaging in the way the inimitable Ms. Chase does so well. Vere's oft-muttered epithets for Lydia are hilarious, and yet there are also times of amazing tenderness. This book has a fine cast of supporting characters, particularly the continuing character of Bertie Trent, who finally gets to prove his worth. The Last Hellion is a very satisfying romance and is highly recommended.

Light, funny - wonderfully romantic !!.......2005-11-16

I fell in love with the characters. Ainswood (Vere) was so cynical, irreverent, funny, hurting, and eventually healed by opening himself up to love -- but still a hellion! Grenville (Lydia) was a strong, opinionated, bookish heroine, who was loved exactly for who she was -- no changes desired. The admiration, affection, and love between them grew gradually and realistically throughout the book, despite a rational reluctance by either to acknowledge the other as more than a nuisance to society. What an unlikely pair!

I smiled throughout the book at the tongue-in-check humor used by the author -- not only witty but at times hilarious. Lydia wore black for her wedding! The secondary characters added depth and the various sub-plots kept things moving at a quick pace. While the book was a light and entertaining read,it nevertheless moved the heart as a good romance should.

This is the second book I've read by Loretta Chase, after "Lord of Scoundrels". The first is a type of classic and also outstanding. "The Last Hellion" was a delightful surprise. It was every bit as good, if not better. It will stay with a very few other books that I will not give to the library.

Funny, romantic story from an excellent author.......2005-09-17

Everybody reviewing this book has said it all already. Just wanted to add that although I found the leading lady of the plot had an improbable career - female investigative reporter in 1820's London? I think not! - I still enjoyed the heck out of this story and the characters. So let your willing suspension of disbelief kick in and you'll really enjoy the ride.

Average customer rating:

As Naughty as you can get
Typical Betrice Small
Not a Romance Novel
A pretty good book!!
romance or erotica?....this ain't barbara cartland.........

Hellion
Bertrice Small
Manufacturer: Ivy Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0449150380
Release Date: 1997-01-29

Amazon.com

The title says it all! Bertrice Small manages to artfully combine history and sex in this engaging medieval historical romance. Hugh Fauconier tames his virgin bride with warm caresses and soft compliments, but the novel reaches its crescendo when innocent Belle is exposed to the naughty and evil sexual sorcerer, Guy d' Bretagne.

Book Description

SHE WAS CALLED BELLE FROM HELL. . . .

As fierce and indomitable as any man, Isabelle of Langston rules the family lands with an iron hand after her father's death. But the brazen beauty meets her match in Hugh Fauconier, bold knight and rightful Saxon heir to Langston Keep. By the king's hand, he is made her husband. Hugh's virile prowess reveals to Belle the delicious pleasures of the flesh, as their turbulent days of verbal sparring melt into nights of erotic abandon.

But a treacherous plot enslaves Hugh to the evil Vivienne d' Bretagne, a sorceress whose sexual magic is as powerful as it is dark. Discovering the castle lair where her husband is enchanted, Belle is caught and rendered helpless by the twisted passion of Vivienne's brother, Guy. But not even her captor's devious ecstasy can destroy her will to free her beloved Hugh. . . .

"The plot is cleverly woven into the history of the times in such a way as to make the era come to life on the written page. . . . Ms. Small once again delights and thrills."

*Rendezvous

An Alternate Selection of the Literary Guild(c) and Doubleday Book Club(c)

Customer Reviews:

As Naughty as you can get.......2007-05-11

This book is great. I love the history, the suspense, the naughty bedroom scenes. Definitely one you'd want to read over and over. Bertrice Small is a great Romance novelist.

Typical Betrice Small.......2006-12-20

This is my 3rd Bertrice Small book and probably the last. They are all the same. Herione (usually under 16) is ordered by the King du jour to marry one of his favored knights/lords. As soon as she falls in love with him and bears him a child-he is called away, she goes after him, they both commit adultery (repeatedly), heroine is then kept from her husband and child for a year or more. Hero has hard time getting over wife's adultery, which she commits to save his life. And the heroine seems to always have better sex with her lovers than her husband. Now I love my husband (a career military man) but I can't imagine abandoning my child to follow him to war for years or months at a time. Granted, times were different back then but still I would choose my infant child over my husband.

Not a Romance Novel.......2006-06-26

First of all, I would like to say that this is one of the two books Ive read by Bertrice Small. Before this, I have never read any of her works saved from seeing them in the bookstores whenever I browse around. Before I am used to only reading books of true romance novelists like J. McNaught and J. Devereaux.But thought I should check out B. Small's work and boy do I regret it!

This is the second book I've read( The first was Betrayed)and I must say that it is not only disappointing but disturbing that this is in the romance section. They're both very much like "sex stories" instead of romance. I will not retell the summary but tell you instead of this work. I DID NOT LIKE both books and probably, after reading their summaries, would not like her other works as well . Reading this book is like watching a porno flick. I was so disgusted! Both books I've read tried to romanticized the heroine having sexual relations with someone else other than the hero! I don't know with others, but I don't think that's romantic at all! Of course there are those that would say that romances should include fantasies but hey, a "threesome" between the hero, heroine and the villain for hours? And that was just one of the many and perverted sexual relations the heroine had with the villain...willingly...YUCK! But the story has to end somehow and all the betrayal and emotional baggages spill forth in the end. It's not like with other authors where the betrayal are caused by misunderstanding or some villain because here is a real betrayal where the heroine willingly gave herslef to the villain and enjoyed it. YUCK! And do not expect it is any diffferent in her other books as well. Also, if I want this kind of fantasy, I would be watching a mini series drama! But at least the heroine, Isabelle didnt get pregnant by anyone other than the hero. In her novel "betrayed" the heroine had sexual relations with the "villain" who kidnapped her and had 2 children! Now this is after meeting the hero! And she was pregnant with the hero's child when she began her affair with the kidnapper. By the time I finished these books I wanted to throw them in the trash. It is opposite to what I always come away with reading a great romance novel where there is always a feel good ending. With this one, I felt like I was going to get sick and wanted to purged everything Ive read.

So a little advice for people who like to read true romances -you will not like it. Try Jude Devereaux, J. McNaught, L. Kleypas or Lindsey instead.

But if you're really in to either sex flicks or heroine being used by another man then this is perfect!

A pretty good book!!.......2006-02-21

I happen to enjoy Bertrice Small's books. I love strong women characters and I love to read stories that are different from the mainstream. I did have two problems with this book. 1. I thought Isabelle would fight Guy a little bit more since she was such a Hellion. I know she was trying to help Hugh but dang she succumbed to Guy without a whimper. 2. I hated the ending!!! I mean I was glad they got back together but I hated that he became blind in one eye why not just injured in the leg or something to keep him from fighting for the king. All in all it was a good book even though I had these two problems with it. Still it was a good read. If you want a sappy sweet story with minimal sex then don't read Bertrice Small but if you want an exciting, different romance story with Hot sex then pick up one of her books. I recommend Skye O' Malley which is my personal favorite or Wild Jasmine.

romance or erotica?....this ain't barbara cartland................2005-06-01

hot, hot, hot! and not for the faint of heart! while other reviews about this book go into the storyline..... i'm going to get right to the goodstuff. this is erotica at it's best or romance at it's worst depending on what type you like. this book has everything from straight sex, to oral, anal,double penetration,rape, dildos, bondage and more than implies incest.....this is not your mother's barbra cartland.
the first time i read one of bertrice small's "romance novels." i was shocked,then appalled, then fascinated and more than a little stimulated...... it takes a special talent to blend a historical with a fantasy, create strong and vibrant characters. and oh my gosh! the sex.......everything from belle's tender deflowering by hugh, to her mother's brutal rape on top of a horse,to the threesome between belle,hugh and guy. sure to make more than a few of you ladies wince and squirm in your chair.
i personally loved this book and became a diehard fan of ms. small. but then i enjoyed it for what it is......erotica for women. if i want to read a nice, sweet romance, i'll pick up kathleen woodiweiss or joanna lindsey. but when i'm alone and have nothing better to do, on a cold rainy afternoon, the husband and kids gone....i'll pick up my tattered copy of hellion and read the dog earred pages for the hundreth time.........

Average customer rating:

Book #1 of trilogy
A Great introduction to Connie Mason
Very sensual, great heroes!
1st Mason book won't be my last!!
Disgusting!

The Rogue and the Hellion
Connie Mason
Manufacturer: Leisure Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 084395020X

Customer Reviews:

Book #1 of trilogy.......2007-08-15

Book #2 is Seduced by a Rogue
Book #3 is The Last Rogue

This is Gabriel's and Olivia's story.

Olivia is a highwayman/person (LOL), she holds up stage coaches for a living. LOL

She ends of holding up Gabriel's mode of transport and he finds himself curious about her; although, at the time he didn't know she was a "she."

She ends up getting shot...

This was a nice read. Typical Connie Mason style!

A Great introduction to Connie Mason.......2006-11-24

Gabriel Wellsby, The Marquis of Bathurst is robbed the same set of highwaymen twice, what he does not know that "Ollie" is in fact Lady Olivia Fairfax, a woman who has be for forced to due so to keep her brother in school. When Bathhurst and Olivia the fireworks start, but Gabriel is a man hiding a lot pain. Pain infact that might the lovers apart forever.
"The Rogue and the Hellion" was the first book that I have read by Connie Mason. And it was really good. Ms. Mason gives the readers strong characters with good plots. The only reason that I didn't give it fives stars was that Bathurst's subplot seem to take a little long to reslove itself.

Very sensual, great heroes!.......2006-05-12

The Rogue and the Hellion is a wonderful book. The plot is very interesting. Imagine a high society lady of London, disguised as a highway man! Picture a handsome marquis as her victim not only once but twice. The story is fascinating, full of romance, intrigue, and well written as only Connie Mason can do it.

Before you start reading this book, be sure you send your family aeay. Feed the pets and turn on your answering machine because you will not want to be disturbed.

In every part of the book, there was some mystery to be unsolved. The chemistry between Olivia and Gabriel was huge.

Feel free to read, entertaining, light and fabuluous!

1st Mason book won't be my last!!.......2005-03-18

Wow this one sizzles - which I absolutely loved!!! Gabriel was the type of rogue i look forward to reading about - something dark in his past causes him to behave so wickedly then he meets the right woman and he starts to slowly change but uses his rakish qualities to make for a hot romance with the lovely Olivia. They meet in the stangest of ways - she hold him up at gun point and he is captivated and from then on the story just gets better and better -I am so looking forward to reading about his friends!!

Disgusting!.......2003-04-18

...so boring with all he ever wants to do is have sex. And the never ending sex chapters over and over really disgusted me. I mean they were having sex more than actually talking to each other. And then all of a sudden, he falls in love. That made no sense at all. Gabriel's idea that he will go insane because it will be inherited from his mother was really absurd. It was not believeable at all. But the storyline of a woman disguising as a highwayman and ends up falling in love with the man she robbed had it's potential of becoming a great story. I give it that.

Average customer rating:

It just keeps getting better!
Mysteries of the Ladies of the Lake
Look What the Hurricane Stirred Up
Perfect setting for murder
5th in series

High Water Hellion
Glynn Marsh Alam
Manufacturer: Avocet Press Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0972507868

Customer Reviews:

It just keeps getting better!.......2006-12-23

I've read the other reviews so I'll keep this short and to the point. This is the best yet in Glynn Alam's series about LuAnne Fogarty. The familiar characters are still in the story and it is like meeting old friends to read of this latest mystery. Early in the book I wished there was a map showing the positioning of the houses along the lake, but I quickly realized that it was not important. I wish parents with teenage children would read this book. There is a lesson in it and it might help someone get help for a troubled teen if they could see what happened in the story. All that aside, it was a excellent read. Once I got to the middle of the book, I could not put it down. Now I await the next in this excellent series!

Mysteries of the Ladies of the Lake.......2006-11-25

The fifth in Glynn Marsh Alam's mystery series about professor and scuba diver Luanne Fogarty, "High Water Hellion" is the best story yet.
The characters we have grown to know from previous books - Luanne, Tony, Vernon, and Pasquin, among others - have temporarily moved from the swamps of north Florida to an interesting new Central Florida locale.
Nothing is what it first appears to be as the deaths of feisty older women that were first thought to be from natural causes may be anything but natural. The mysteries deepen as more is learned about the dead women's neighbors, and the threats to potentially thwart the investigation grow more intense, including aggressively mating alligators, snakes, and high winds and water from a powerful hurricane. Threats from nature turn out to be the least of Luanne's problems as the story unfolds.
As always, Alam's descriptions of her Florida settings are vivid and the reader can truly see and feel the houses along the lakefront (especially what it must be like to ride out a hurricane), as well as easily imagine being in the area's roadhouse eating ribs and slaw and visiting with a rattlesnake in the fireplace.
In terms of style, story and character development this is a winner.

Look What the Hurricane Stirred Up.......2006-09-17

Luanne was admittedly a little reluctant to go help Tony Amado. His aunt, Miss Keen, has just died, and rumor had it she had thrown something into the lake near where she lived. Tony needed Luanne to come and dive in the lake to find whatever it was his aunt threw in there.

The problems come almost as soon as Luanne arrives. Being early May, the alligators are in the middle of mating season. Miss Keen insisted on an autopsy, and the coroner finds foul play. And there's a hurricane coming, bringing its own damage and danger.

When I realized the action of the book was going to move from Luanne's home in the swamps outside of Tallahassee to central Florida, I was worried we wouldn't get to see the recurring characters. I had nothing to worry about as they all logically show up over the course of the book.

Since the setting is not in the area around Luanne's house, it allows the author to create a host of new characters. They are brought fully to life. There were a few characters I truly felt sorry for by the time the book was over. And several of the characters really creeped me out.

The plot moves along well in the first half. The hurricane becomes an important part of the story and not just an add on to make things more interesting. There was one major plot point I saw coming long before the characters did. I did feel they should have suspected what was going on long before they did, and I did grow a little frustrated with them in the second half. Then, the climax seems a little rushed as it tries to tie up all the plot threads.

Ms. Alam's writing is as strong as ever here. She expertly paints pictures with words while continuing to move the story forward. The descriptions kept me on edge through much of the book, adding suspense to an already good story.

Fans of the series will find another winner here. Anyone who loves a good tale well written would do well to check out this series.

Perfect setting for murder.......2006-06-27

Glynn Marsh Alam captures perfectly the steamy, shrouded northern Florida swamps in her first four books of this series. In this installment she sets professor and scuba diver Luanne Fogarty near Central Florida's city of Ocala during hurricane and alligator mating seasons while continuing to paint a death-perfect tropical landscape.

There, as a personal favor to enigmatic friend Tony Amado, sheriff's detective and sometimes boss, Luanne helps him search for clues to his aunt's death. The love-starved alligators are not the only predators surrounding his aunt's little lake-front cottage, but who killed her? Was it the reclusive, well-fed New Jersey family who had clandestine deliveries? Or maybe the handy man who showed up at the oddest times with his brain-damaged and abused sister in tow? Or maybe it is the wealthy old man and his land-grabbing son down the road? Whoever it is serves up another neighbor to the alligators before Luanne and Tony have gotten very far into their investigation.

The author serves up clues and red herrings while giving long time readers a tasty tidbit or two into the life of Tony Amado. Her lover Vernon comes to assist and Luanne's best friend and swamp neighbor Pasquin offers his expertise in swamp psychology and Cajun cooking.

You can almost hear the mosquitos buzzing and the alligators bellowing from the pages of Alam's fifth book of her delightfully deadly series.

5th in series.......2006-06-25

Alam's fifth mystery featuring Luanne Fogarty, this mystery moves from the panhandle area of North Florida to the more central area in Ocala. Luanne has agreed to help her sometime boss Tony in a personal matter since her classes for the semester have ended. She heads down to Ocala with her scuba gear in the middle of gator mating season, only to end up right in the middle of the current hurricane territory. Tony's aunt had died leaving instructions to have an autopsy no matter what the situation, which raised eyebrows but managed to bring attention to a dubious state of affairs. After discovering a neighbor's body floating in the lake after a storm, Luanne and her friends are convinced that something suspicious is going on in the backwoods neighborhood, between the missing animals and the mysterious deliveries to the New Jersey neighbors, the Bonos. But will they be able to unearth enough information to piece everything together?

Alam's work is very descriptive and weaves together an exceptional cast of characters. Having grown up in the north Florida area and lived there for over twenty years, I find Alam's work a wonderful way of visiting the area without having to travel there in person.

She Captains: Heroines and Hellions of the Sea

Average customer rating:

Not enough information, some of it very wrong
Sea Legs or She Legs
Queens of the High Seas

She Captains: Heroines and Hellions of the Sea
Joan Druett
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0684856913

Amazon.com

Mention the word "pirate," and you'll likely conjure up an image, courtesy of Robert Newton's scenery-chewing performance in the 1950 film adaptation of Treasure Island, that features a peg-leg, a parrot, and a mighty "arrrgh."

New Zealand-based maritime historian Joan Druett amends that image to include voices in a higher register, adding She Captains to other works (Hen Frigates, "She Was a Sister Sailor") that address women's roles in the passage and exploration of the high seas. Druett reaches far back in history, opening her lively book with an account of the water-coursing Massegetae queen Tomyris, who bested the Persian king Cyrus on the shores of the Volga River. Druett enlists dozens of other militarily, criminally, and commercially extraordinary women in her dramatis personae, including the Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra, whose name is synonymous with mysterious beauty but who also commanded a mighty navy; Cheng I Sao, the 18th-century terror of the South China Sea; and Lucy Brewer, who, disguised as a man, served as a common sailor aboard the U.S.S. Constitution. Along the way Druett considers the role of New England women as financial mainstays of the whaling trade, stops at Spanish ports of call controlled by powerful (and sometimes bloodthirsty) women, and generally has a fine time exploring waters that history has little charted. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

Long before women had the right to vote, earn money, or have lives of their own, "she captains" -- bold women distinguished for courageous enterprise on the high seas -- thrilled and terrorized their shipmates, performed acts of valor, and pirated with the best of their male counterparts. From the warrior queens of the sixth century b.c. to the female shipowners influential in opening the Northwest Passage, She Captains brings together a real-life cast of characters whose audacity and bravado will capture the imagination. In her inimitable style, Joan Druett paints a vivid portrait of real women who were drawn to the ocean's beauty -- and danger -- and dared to captain ships of their own.

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Customer Reviews:

Not enough information, some of it very wrong.......2005-09-25

I'm still in the middle of this book. The subject matter is interesting, but it skims over the tales too quickly (e.g., how and when were Rackham et al captured?). Druett also jumps around too much - mixing the tales of more than one woman who were unrelated in terms of place and time.

In addition, the book really bothered me for its lack of quality research. The author relied too much upon myths and stereotypes to embellish her story. In particular, the chapter about the Vikings contained a lot of misinformation, most from romanticized tales from the Victorian era. A 30-second web search would have told her that the Vikings didn't wear horned helmets, that they ate a lot more than plain, boiled meat (as traders and farmers, they had access to a variety of fruit, vegetables, herbs, and spices), etc. They were a lot more sophisticated than Druett made out.

It's fine as light reading and a quick overview of the topic, but the devil's in the details.

Sea Legs or She Legs.......2002-09-18

In general this is a collection of stories of women associated with seafaring. Not all were 'captains', but that's not really material to the focus of the book, which is to provide the reader with ample examples of women who worked in the maritime trade (in one way or another).

The topics range from royalty and psuedo-royalty, to pirates, to wives. For the most part the women are of strong character and know what they want. Druett, writes well and the stories are entertaining and well researched.

Queens of the High Seas.......2000-11-29

People may think that the womens' movement began in the 1960s or '70s, but the ladies whose stories are told in this book prove that female empowerment was alive and kicking on-board clipper ships and at the helm of pirate cutters long before Gloria Steinem was a gleam in her mother's eye. This book tells the stories of numerous fascinating female buccaneers who could be just as ruthless as their male counterparts and hold sway over crews of male sailors. Even if you're familiar with Anne Bonny and Mary Read, you will learn about many of their lesser-known compatriots and their world. This is an intriguing study of women in a career that has been generally relegated to the male realm in popular thought.

New X-Men: Hellions TPB (X-Men (Graphic Novels))

Average customer rating:

A good graphic novel with one very large cavit.
Wanna get to know the Hellions?
Genuinely Entertaining

New X-Men: Hellions TPB (X-Men (Graphic Novels))
Nunzio Defilippis , Clayton Henry , and Mark Morales
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785117466

Book Description

From the pages of New X-Men: Academy X come the resident bad boys (and girls) of Xavier's! The Hellions spend the summer in California, where they'll discover the dirty secrets from one of their pasts and will face a temptation that will determine whether these kids will be heroes or villains. Collects New X-Men: Hellions #1-4.

Customer Reviews:

A good graphic novel with one very large cavit........2007-03-29

First off, I really like this story. The characters were fun, one or two of them were actually original, and I could understand two thirds of them. That's normally as good as it gets.
However, there were also some points in this story that I think could've been handled better.
Points for:
1. I love the art. Not as ugly as Age of Apocalypse, and much more finely colored than the early stuff. And the age of the female characters saves them from the ridiculus clothing some female supers wear in this genre.
2. I could empathize with the characters. Wither has the worst (as in worst to have, not worst thought out) power, bar none, that I have come across. He touches things and they die. Or, in hte case of nonliving organic things, turn to dust. Naturally he is less than thrilled.
As for the others- Mercury was not terribly original, except for her power (she's made of liquid metal). She wants her parents to get past her being a mutant, and she has a crush on Wither. That is it. That is the sum and total of her personality. STill, I sort of liked her.
Dust was unusual because I think she's the first Muslim character I've found in the genre. She is Afghani and very traditoinal, which was more interesting than if she had been a rebel. Her main desire is to find her mother, from whom she was separated recently.
The other three- Tag, Hellion, and Rockslide- are okay, nothing special. Hellion is the semi-required rich kid, Rockslide is the strongman, and Tag has a specialized form of mind control. None of htem made much of an impression.
3. A good plot, nothing original but not bad.

Downside:
1. Wither again. He is my favorite, but- IF HIS POWER TURNS ORGANIC MATTER TO DUST, WHY DOESN'T HE STARVE TO DEATH? Has this ever been adressed? The paradox has come up before, that a mutant's power should, technicaly, prevent their survival. But I never saw evidance that the writer noticed it.
2. If the baddie (who arrives suddenly, offering their hearts' desires and a price to match) can turn Wither's power off so easily, why couldn't the Beast do the same?
3. The Hellions are supposedly the bad kids at school. THis does not surface. Hellion has an attitude, and that's about it. However, the story opens with Emma Frost, who is most accustomed to chaos, telling Hellion that the level of rule-breaking the team had commited was unacceptable. Then the team has a run-in with the airport guards, but no one is hurt. And, truth to tell, I can't see any super-powered teenagers 'not' getting into a fight, under the circumstances. Then the entire thing vanishes. The Hellions seem to be just kids. Nice ones. Sorry, but this doesn't make sense.

All in all, a good read, but some paradoxes here.

Wanna get to know the Hellions?.......2006-11-27

This book focuses mostly on character development for Emma Frost's new Hellions. The New X-Men are off to vacation to Julian Keller's home in California. Upon arrival, Julian (Hellion) is informed that he will no longer get the family's inheritence, which will go to his older brother. This leads to Julian curiosity to wonder where his parents got all the money and is then convinced that his parents have been doing something illegal to get all the money they have. He and the New X-Men search for clues and find information on the "Kingmaker." They naively accept the Kingmaker's deals which include you do something for me, I'll do something for you. These young kids then run into problems with this mysterious man Kingmaker.
My verdict: The artist did a very good job drawing these characters. He made them colorful, playful, and all that. Another plus is that this book is no where near dark or violent, so it's acceptable for younger children. As for the story--it has little excitement and can be predictable at times. However, this book does a pretty good job as for character development, and I'm assuming that this is what the book is made for as character development goes. If you want to familiarize yourself with the Hellions, then I suggest you buy this book. But if you're looking for an exciting and intense comic story, don't get it. What I got it for, I think it did a pretty fair job. I'd say check it out, but it's definitely not a necessity. 3/5

Genuinely Entertaining.......2006-05-06

Focusing on Emma Frost's "good" Hellions, this tells the story of the Hellions who feature in the New X-Men (Academy X) series. While the plot hinges on an often used hook, it serves extremely well in letting us get to know the characters. There's also a character that reminds me of Calypso from the Twisted Metal games (which I consider a bonus).

The artwork is a "fun" cartoony, not detracting from the serious moments while at the same setting a lighter mood that is so unlike many of the dark, graphic, and violent stories that perpetuate the market today. The style you see on the cover is what you get.

Much recommended along with the New X-Men series. I recommend you read this before starting that series. A word of caution, that series does become one of the darker violent comics when it hits issues in the 20s. Thankfully, the artwork quality remains the same.

The Hellion (G K Hall Large Print Book Series)

Average customer rating:

Lovely!
Has the LaVryle flavor, but not her best work.....
Good but not great...(3 1/2 stars)
Rachel & Tommy Lee's love was meant to be
One of My Favorite LaVyrle Books

The Hellion (G K Hall Large Print Book Series)
LaVyrle Spencer
Manufacturer: G K Hall & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0816148767

Book Description

Once they were high school sweethearts. Now, twenty-four years later, Tommy Lee can still excite Rachel like no other man.

Customer Reviews:

Lovely!.......2007-01-11

Hallelujah! This time my TBR shelf produced a real winner - LaVyrle Spencer's THE HELLION. A touching story about lost love and wasted years. THE HELLION is simply beautiful!

As children, Rachel Talmadge and Tommy Lee Gentry were best friends; as teenagers, Rachel and Tommy Lee were lovers; and by seventeen, Rachel and Tommy Lee were parents. Teenage parents who, regrettably, gave away their child. A tough decision forced by well-meaning parents. Unfortunately, along with their child, Rachel and Tommy Lee also lost each other!

Time slipped away. Rachel Talmadge married another man and Tommy Lee Gentry lived life on the edge. He married other women, fathered more children, and drank! Now, twenty-four years later, Tommy Lee is divorced and Rachel is a childless widow and again destiny steps in. The ill-fated couple receive a second-chance, but can they control the golden moment?

LaVryle Spencer took the "Second-chance Topic" by the horns and ran with it! Oh how, the author moved me with this sensitive love story. Outstandingly, Ms. Spencer applied tenderness, longing, and gentle humor. And as I turned the last page, I felt fate had truly granted the characters that rare second chance! Rachel and Tommy Lee would finally have a wonderful life . . . together! And LaVryle Spencer - well she wrote a gem! So why not the perfect A+ (10)? Because throughout the story, one nagging question loomed - why didn't Rachel and Tommy Lee contact each other during their college years? A nagging question . . . but minor and it will certainly not influence my final decision . . . from TBR shelf . . . straight to Keeper shelf!
Grade: A

MaryGrace Meloche.

Has the LaVryle flavor, but not her best work............2005-11-02

I only discovered LaVryle Spencer in the last few months and enjoyed so much the first book I read that I was reading one after another in quick succession. I have come to the end of her books because I know she doesn't write anymore and I will miss her work. I have enjoyed all of them except for one clunker (in my opinion) called Sweet Memories. Many of her books I have given 5 stars; she just knows how to capture the essence of family life, of romance, of everyday situations with that special touch. I would put this book around 3.5 stars. It was good, but certainly not her best, but it had the signature Spencer ingredients of lost love, family conflicts, resolution, and happy ending. In that respect it doesn't disappoint, but I wish she had made the book a little bit longer and provided more character development on the main characters.

Good but not great...(3 1/2 stars).......2004-06-25

The Hellion was an ok book. Tommy Lee and Rachel were involved long ago, but after a 24 year separation, they are reunited. The writing was decent and the story was ok, but I just didnt like the characters all that much. Tommy Lee wasnt too bad, but I found his huge behavioral changes to be somewhat unbelievable. As for Rachel, I just didnt really like her. She came across as a bit of a snob and I felt like it was obvious that Tommy Lee loved Rachel much more than she loved him. Not bad, but not a keeper. Still, it is worth reading especially if you are a real fan of Spencer.

Rachel & Tommy Lee's love was meant to be.......2004-06-23

Probably everyone knew of a Rachel and Tommy Lee in school that were just meant to be--- where one was you saw the other and you just knew that they would end up together. But then later you heard of a tragedy that kept them apart and it broke your heart because their love had been so sweet and pure.

Yes, this story was predictable but, you know, I read it just to see what they had to go through to finally have one another in the end. Knowing LS's writing, I knew it wasn't going to be an easy or smooth ride. LS can do that- she can take a realistic situation- bring it to life in front of your eyes. It probably isn't - well, in fact, I know it's not one of my favorite LS books but it is still worth reading and enjoying. One of my favorite scenes was the clothing left in the pool and "Dear Ole' Daddy" seeing them. Read it and enjoy it!

One of My Favorite LaVyrle Books.......2003-09-12

The Hellion is one of those books I find myself returning to again and again.

Although not one of her most sophisticated or complex plots - it is, as other reviewers here have pointed out, somewhat predictable - there is noone better than LaVyrle at creating genuinely likeable, engaging characters. Even if you can guess from the begining where Tommy Lee and Rachel are going to end up you'll want to go along for the ride!

It's the kind of story LaVryle does best - the rediscovery of love once lost. Two people no longer young, no longer innocent, discovering that love never simply disappears and that it's never too late to find out "what if".

Book Description

The Hellion, Separate Beds and Hummingbird. First time ever in hardcover! Three passionate romance novels in one volume from the New York Times bestselling "Gatekeeper of Romance". Her fans adore her and keep her sitting pretty on the bestseller lists.

Customer Reviews:

Three great stories.......2006-04-21

I loved this book! All three stories were great. THE HELLION was heart breaking, Rachel's father was so domineering and caused people 20 years of unhappiness. SEPARATE BEDS was the most interesting to me, I thought it took Clay a long time to figure out what is really important to make a good marriage, that similar life styles and backgrounds are not it. Catherine had to learn that she was a good person, how to show love and except the fact that she was loveable. I really liked the humor that was in HUMMINGBIRD, and what a man Jesse was! Abigail was so "up-tight", it was such fun to see Jesse make her loose her control. But in the end, it was Jesse that had to admit she had got to him too.

Great book.......2004-02-27

If you are a LaVyrle Spencer fan, you'll love these stories!

Hummingbird.......2002-10-02

I haven't read this compilation of 3 books. But I have the book Hummingbird. It is 1 of my favorite books... one that I could never part with. I have already read it several times. I can't really comment on the other 2 books but for the Hummingbird book alone it is well worth it.

Three great stories!.......2000-04-04

This book contains three wonderful novels by LaVyrle Spencer. The Hummingbird is one of the most well written books I have had the pleasure of reading. Abbie's character unfolded gradually and I felt myself really identifying with her. Jessie was such a devil, but I absolutely fell for him. The Hellion makes you think about lost love and what it would be like to rekindle the romance of yesteryear. It took me a while to warm to Rachel. Tommy Lee was pretty much a diamond in the rough. I really empathized with him. I liked Separate Beds, but it was my least favorite of the three. Catherine frustrated me throughout much of the story. She was just so darn stubborn! It kept me reading, though. All in all, a very enjoyable read. Each time I started one of the new books, I was reluctant to leave behind the characters from the previous story.

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