Web of Love (Dell Historical Romance)

Book Description

New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh brilliantly captures the passionate conflict of a woman caught between two loves in this classic tale of friendship, devotion, intrigue—and a love that is the most seductive trap of all….

He’d served with her husband on the battlefield—and secretly desired her for years. Yet for Dominic, Lieutenant Lord Eden, Ellen Simpson has remained tantalizingly out of reach—until she is widowed by the war. Suddenly pursued by the dangerously handsome nobleman, Ellen is stunned by the depth of attraction he arouses in her. Soon their friendship flames into something deeper…and as scandal ignites, marriage seems the only solution. But Ellen has a secret—one she can share with no one—that prevents her from fully opening her heart to Dominic. Until he devises his own plan for the ultimate consummation of their passion—and the woman he is determined to possess at any cost…

Customer Reviews:

Another excellent reissue of a Balogh story.......2007-07-12

Mary Balogh is one of the most consistent authors of historical romances writing today and "Web of Love," a re-issue of a title originally published in 1990, shows this. It is the second in the "Web" series following "The Gilded Web" (reissued last year) which follows the three Raine siblings, Edmund, Earl of Amberley ("The Gilded Web"), Dominic, Lord Eden ("Web of Love") and Madeleine Raine ("The Devil's Web", to be reissued in December 2007).

Mary Balogh's books often have similar themes and this is no different. The Battle of Waterloo and its aftermath plays a significant part in this story (rather like "Slightly Sinful") when Lord Eden is wounded and is tended by the widow of his friend, Charlie Simpson. Charlie's widow Ellen has been following the drum for ten years and in her matter-of-fact, comfortable nature is rather like Sophie in "Irresistible". There is also a disfigured and wounded character who begins to learn about his new limitations and yet new possibilities, particularly in art (like Sydnam Butler in "Simply Love"). And yet although there are some similarities of themes within her books, overall they always seem to work well as standalone novels with far more to them then just romance.

Ellen Simpson and her husband Charlie are deeply in love. And yet as the book starts, she begins to notice Dominic, Lord Eden, as slightly more than her husband's best friend. She ignores this, of course, and sees them both off into battle whilst looking after her stepdaughter, Jennifer. The build-up to the battle is well written as the characters in the story try not to think too much about the possible death and injury and live each day at a time. We also meet the hero and heroine from the first book in this series, the Earl and Countess of Amberley, three years after that story ends and with two children. Amberley's family take Jennifer back to England before the outbreak of the war but Ellen stays with her husband, as always, in Brussels - as does Madeleine, Lord Eden's twin, staying with a friend elsewhere. As reports of the fighting come in Ellen and Madeleine prepare to treat the wounded. Eventually Eden is returned to Ellen's house dangerously wounded and with the news that Charlie has been killed. Ellen nurses him with great care and Madeleine finds herself nursing Lieutenant Allan Penworth who has lost a leg and an eye in the battle. Yet Ellen's time with Dominic, Lord Eden, leads to rather more than they both initially expect before guilt causes Ellen to ask him to keep away from her.

On returning to England, however, Ellen finds herself occasionally in company with Lord Eden. And there's a rather important piece of information she needs to give him but she cannot bring herself to. She ends up staying at Amberley with Jennifer and the Earl and Countess, as well as Madeleine and Lieutenant Penworth and several other people, and learns that she cannot keep all her own secrets as other people are involved.

In some ways the romantic element is less important in this story than some of the others. The focus is a little more on the war and how it can affect families, changing them not only by deaths but also by injury. Dominic appeared as a rather shallow person in the first book in this series and in this novel he sometimes seems rather carefree, acknowledging to himself that he tumbles into love rather readily. Ellen is a very different character, one of steadiness and deep emotion, and yet it wasn't always easy to get into her mind. Neither person's character particularly changes or grows in this story, it is more a case of Dominic finally finding what he has been looking for and Ellen understanding that it is possible to love more than one man in a lifetime. This was, however, an excellent read and will no doubt be much enjoyed by Mary Balogh's fans.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book, www.curledup.com. © Helen Hancox 2007

One of the stupidest books I have ever read........2007-07-08

This is one of the stupidest books I have ever read, I couldn't even finish it. The dialog is inane and bordering on the ridiculous at times. The characters are shallow and one dimensional. They often exhibit juvenile and selfish behavior that makes them extremely unlikeable.
The overall plot makes no sense. The author spends the first 100 pages describing the passionate (and borderline obsessive) love between the female lead and her first husband. Then her husband dies in battle, so she shrugs her shoulders and falls madly in love with her husband's best friend in a matter of weeks. I will admit that this is where I stopped reading, so if the story picks up dramatically after page 180, I apologize.

Really STINKS.......2007-07-06

I usually love her books but this one stinks! First off, Ellen's love for Charlie goes on ad nauseum, how he's her whole life, and life would end without him in WAY too many chapters. Then there is way too much battle detail for a book of this type, and then he dies, no mention of his body, etc. I haven't finished it, I'm not sure I will, which is definitely not usual for me. IT's just too nauseating how she goes on and on about her love for Charlie and then suddenly she's having a week long sexual romp with his best friend with little explanation. Then she suddenly turns puritan and uptight and blames him and herself, with little logic or rationality. And the character development for Lord Eden needs work, along with the plot, he comes across as a weak, flaky young thing, not leading man material at all. Ellen comes across as stodgy dowager type. Just boring, all of it, and nauseating. I love Mary Balogh, but this book comes across as something she did early in her career that was dusted off and submitted with no rework or editing.

solid Regency romance .......2007-07-05

During the Napoleonic Wars, Lieutenant Lord Eden served with Charlie, the husband of Ellen Simpson. Dominic hid his attraction to Ellen because that was the honorable thing to do. While Ellen resides temporarily in nearby Brussels with her teenage stepdaughter Jennifer, Charlie is participating at the battle of Waterloo. Soon after she learns that like her mother, she has become a war widow.

Dominic begins his pursuit of the widow by being her friend while she grieves her loss. However, she is stunned because finds she desires Dominic much more than her feelings for her late spouse. Although she is falling in love, she has one secret that prevents her from telling him she wants him; Dominic decides proper time has passed so he intends to make this woman his.

This solid Regency romance is a reprint from 1990. The story line is filled with action but somewhat bogged down by too many subplots that either exclude the lead couple or slightly touch them. Not the magnificent Mary Balogh's best work, fans of the author will still enjoy this historical that shows flashes of the greatness to come.

Harriet Klausner

dellicate web, slowly built.......2007-07-04

Mary Balogh's books are all must reads. This one takes a bit longer than her others to get into but the final 85% of the book is a real page turner.

The difference here from her other books is that she goes more deeply into the effects of battlefield conflict on the lives of her characters. This isn't done in a gory way, but rather on how the physical and emotional injuries affect the lives of her characters. This is done with tenderness and isn't depressive... it just adds more depth to the lives we're reading about.

If this is a harbinger of her future work, she is striving to give a greater depth and interest to her protagonists. Good on her!

Average customer rating:

Not her best book
Odd pacing and awkward dynamics
Please pass me another one!
Repetitive, uninspired effort by Balogh...
Well-written and showed how the feelings evolved - didn't just tell

The Gilded Web
Mary Balogh
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0440243068
Release Date: 2006-11-28

Book Description

From one of America’s most beloved storytellers comes a classic love story—the breathtaking tale of a man and a woman caught in a web of temptation and seduction.

All she wanted was to escape the hot, crowded London ballroom. But moments after stepping into the bitterly cold night, she is seized by a pair of strong hands and spirited away. Fully expecting to be ravished, sheltered Alexandra Purnell instead finds herself at the mercy of the man who saved her from certain scandal. Edmund, Earl of Amberley, is bold and sensual, tempting Alexandra to be reckless for the first time in her life. But as passion ignites, Edmund’s offer of marriage takes Alexandra completely by surprise. Now a woman who craves her freedom above all else is about to discover how far one man will go to protect and possess the woman he loves.…

Customer Reviews:

Not her best book.......2007-09-06

I love Mary Balogh's books ... but not this one! I undestand its one of her first novels, and its not as good as her more recent work.
The story is predictable, the dialogues are repetitive and boring...
If you read for the first time a Mary Balogh book, do not get this one.. she has great novels.. get her more recent works and skip this one.

Odd pacing and awkward dynamics.......2007-07-24

The Gilded Web was one of the second Mary Balogh books I had ever read, and honestly, really put me off her work entirely. I am a huge fan of Regency romance, and read as many as I can get my hands on, but this book was difficult to get into. The heroine is supposed emotionally repressed from her strict and moral upbringing, and the hero is "without passion". Neither of these characters were particularly endearing, and even their inner thoughts were icy and distant, making it hard to really love the characters, just as the characters find it hard to love each other. They finally click, and come together, but from the first few chapters until the very end, is this block of ice. Regencies are often fun and frothy, or full of angst, but always with an element of give and take, or a bit of chasing the one you love. This book had none of that, instead it was extraordinarily slow reading, and the only reason I wanted to finish it was not because I had any attachment to the characters and wanted a happily ever after, but because I just wanted to see if it could salvage itself in the last few chapters. I have never been so disappointed. Hopefully, the Gilded Web is atypical of Mary Balough's work, but if not, I am going to stick to my favorite authors and leave Mary Balough on the shelf.

Please pass me another one!.......2007-06-15

This book is boring! Next to nothing happens. No excitement, no emotion, extremely flat. I didn't really care about any character (maybe her brother James . .. but not enough to find his book). Really old-fashioned writing even though the book isn't really all that old.

Repetitive, uninspired effort by Balogh..........2007-05-22

I have read five Mary Balogh novels, and three out of those five novels are among my all-time favorite Regency romances (The Secret Pearl, Dancing with Clara and More than a Mistress). Balogh is a gifted writer. She, unlike many historical writers, makes you feel the time period. She is right up there with Georgette Heyer when it comes to historical accuracy and subtle romanticism. The Gilded Web is another prime example of how palatable the Regency period feels while reading the novel. However, I had a hard time getting into the actual story and its protagonists. One night during a ball, Alexandra Purnell is mistaken for someone else and becomes a victim of a prank, a prank that costs the young woman her reputation. Lord Eden had wanted to kidnap his twin sister to keep her from accepting a marriage proposal by a suitor he did not approve of, and the men he hired had kidnapped Alexandra instead. She is found bound in a bedroom by Edmund, Earl of Amberley, Lord Eden's older brother. In an effort to make up for his brother's faux pas, he asks for Alexandra's hand in marriage, which she first refuses, but then has no choice but to accept it when she realizes that she's been unfairly shunned by the ton. But Lord Eden would not allow his brother to marry the seemingly frigid and plain Alexandra, a victim of her abusive father, who's a religious fanatic, and will do everything to assume the responsibility for his mistake.

As said earlier, the way Mary Balogh writes the Regency period is wonderful. I love the way this author makes you feel the time period. She is also quite an insightful social commentator of that period. That is why I give it two stars instead of one. However, this story is all over the place. First thing, it is longer than necessary -- 449 pages of a stilted, thin plot. And for that reason it is extremely repetitive, with pages and pages centered on Lord Eden's persuasiveness and guilt, and pages and pages centered on Alexandra being cold to the point of being robotic. I couldn't identify with these characters and the two leads had no chemistry by my measure. The only one who seemed interesting and scrumptious was James, Alexandra's brooding older brother. The novel does improve toward the end, where the author succeeds in showing us how the protagonists fall in love, and the parts that showcase the hypocrisy of "polite society" are insightful, but it wasn't enough for me to enjoy the book. This is a reprint of a trilogy, a very early effort from Balogh and it shows. This novel lacked the emotion-driven depths of other earlier works of hers like The Secret Pearl and Dancing with Clara. This book is a major disappointment. I have no high hopes for the remaining two Web books. I may read James's story, but I think I'll skip Lord Eden's installment.

Well-written and showed how the feelings evolved - didn't just tell.......2007-04-15

I was confused by the ratings from readers for this book - they were all over the map- so I decided to give it a go. And I loved it! The story unfolds slowly, but I never got impatient or skipped ahead. It's about two very introverted people who are trying to resolve a misunderstanding within the societal rules of their class and to come to terms with their own feelings. It all made perfect sense to me. The secondary love stories were also well done - nicely balanced throughout the book. I look forward to the rerelease of the next book in this series in July 2007, Web of Love, about Dominic. Mary Balogh is among my top five historical romance writers, and The Gilded Web and Simply Love are my two favorites. Damaged characters are so much more interesting to me, and I never felt that this story was written "by the numbers." I would definitely read this one again. I hope it comes out in an audio, unabridged version.

4x4 Photoshop and Illustrator: Light/Dark

Average customer rating:

A soild book, could be better

4x4 Photoshop and Illustrator: Light/Dark
Jemma Gura , Nick Higgins , Adrian Luna , and Sean Donohue
Manufacturer: Wrox Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 1903450454

Book Description

4x4: Photoshop and Illustrator

Away from corporate, client-led commissions, in the personal 'side' projects of designers, the real possibilities of ubiquitous tools like Photoshop and Illustrator can be discovered.

"You have to bend filters, push them to their limits, and tweak them out in order to get something new. I think it's important to wrestle full-on with these things, otherwise you risk producing lifeless and boring results." - Jemma Gura

The 4x4 Project invited four groundbreaking designers celebrated for their experimental work to create new works around the central theme of Light and Dark.

Jemma Gura (aka lentil) is the creator of Prate.com
Sean Donohue is the creator of Goingonsix.com
Nick Higgins is a professional illustrator based in the UK
Adrian Luna is the creator of Purusdesign.com

In this book you'll find the tools and the inspiration to take on the applications and beat them. Photoshop is the application of choice, with Illustrator being employed for its vector graphics capabilities, along with a little Auto-Illustrator for some random beauty.

This book immerses the reader in the four phases of the process:

Theory: personal accounts of the creative process, manifestos, diaries, mental sketchbooks, and associated ephemera

Light and Dark: the finished original art works

Process: detailed, first hand, technical descriptions of the creation of each piece, along with original source files on the accompanying CD

Noise and Interference: the four designers discuss, sample, and remix their colleagues' work

The 4x4 Project

4 books, each hosting 4 acclaimed and pioneering digital artists who take on one of 4 outsized themes: Light & Dark, Life & Oblivion, Geometry & Chaos, Time & Stasis.

They pick their tools of choice: Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, 3D, or Code.

They create. They debate. They collaborate.

Each book is an original artwork, a manual, a scrapbook, and a laboratory experiment.

Customer Reviews:

A soild book, could be better.......2003-03-10

I bought this book pretty much to get some inspiration and ideas. While it does not showcase a hell of a lot of art like I had wished it would, it's still a good read if you want to see the creative and technical process that each of the four designes go through to produce an image.

The tutorials are well set out and assume you know your way around photoshop and illustrator, which was ok for me. It's not the sort of book you want to get if your interested in learning photshop or illustrator, but for anyone who has a working knowlage of the programs it's cool to see how these guys get their final results.

Personally I think there could have been a bit more art/design work showcased and some other designer in place of Nick Higgens who cant seem to accept that the other designer sometimes include elements in their images just because, it looks good, but overall it's a solid effort.

Average customer rating:
A Tangled Web (Signet Regency Romance)
Amanda McCabe
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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A Singular Lady (Signet Regency Romance)

ASIN: 045121787X

Book Description

The Dowager Viscountess Ransome simply must find something to fill the endless days of summer. So she invites a party of young people to her estate-and sits back to watch the sparks fly. The guests look forward to respite in an idyllic countryside. But what they find is treachery, secrets, and that most inconvenient bother, love.

Average customer rating:

The story of two women divided by feelings and love...

Web of Light (Starblaze Editions)
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Manufacturer: Donning Company Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 089865162X

Customer Reviews:

The story of two women divided by feelings and love..........2000-07-20

This is the story of Domaris and Deoris, these two women are divided by love, hate and fear and theirs acts would change the world balance. It's also the story of Rajasta, the leader of White Tunics, studiers froma magical art. They meet Micon, a man from Atlantis who is tortured by dark and evil men. He was almost killed but survive with consequences such as loosing his vision. He falls in love to Domaris and they decide to have a baby to keep Micon's power far from the evil men. By the other side Deoris meets Riveda, a strange man, who leads the Grey Tunics. Behind these people are the Black Tunics, the evil men who trapped Micon and tortured him, and looks forward his power.

Web of Deception (Edgecliffe Manor Mysteries #1)

Average customer rating:

a good start to an excellent series
This is my favorite book by Jane Peart!

Web of Deception (Edgecliffe Manor Mysteries #1)
Jane Peart
Manufacturer: Fleming H. Revell Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0800755987

Book Description

Jane Peart launches an enthralling fictional series set against the dramatic backdrop of Victorian England. In this suspenseful romance, a young governess' suspicions of a house guest are fueled by strange noises and missing valuables.

Customer Reviews:

a good start to an excellent series.......2000-06-21

The vicar's daughter must find her own way in the world after the death of her father. Rachel takes a governess position to two motherless children, only to become very uncomfortable in the house that they share with their unloving aunt and servants, some of whom are sinister. The events as the plot unravels will keep you reading. As with all of Peart's mysteries, the heroine has to learn to rely of the power of the Holy Spirit to get her through the tough times.

This is my favorite book by Jane Peart!.......1999-07-03

This is one of the best books that I have read recently. It has all the elements that a book should have. When Rachel takes the post as governess and strange things start to happen it becomes impossible to set the book down. It is a good Christian novel for anyone.

Enhancing Your Website (Essential Computers)

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Enhancing Your Website (Essential Computers)
Ann Light , and Des Watson
Manufacturer: DK ADULT
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Essential skills for the information age. Master state-of-the-art computer skills quickly and confidently with the Essential Computers series. These clear and concise step-by-step visual guides are designed to help beginners acquire all the techniques necessary to use today's information technology, from word processing to desktop publishing to setting up e-commerce and researching on the Internet. Enhancing Your Website helps you master the basic skills to tailor your website to your needs, and includes: Identifying your requirements, Assessing website design and effectiveness, Examining websites for inspiration, Understanding HTML, Viewing website source code, Importing source code, Achieving browser compatibility, Discovering other programming tools, such as Perl, and JavaScript, and Integrating your site into the web.

7 Titles By Rae Foley : Where Is Mary Bostwick? - Girl From Nowhere - The Velvet Web - Wild Night - Fear of a Stranger - Ominous Star - Put Out the Light

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7 Titles By Rae Foley : Where Is Mary Bostwick? - Girl From Nowhere - The Velvet Web - Wild Night - Fear of a Stranger - Ominous Star - Put Out the Light
Rae Foley
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000W9UVN0

Product Description

multiple books ship as one item. save on shipping/handling charges.

Double Webs - Light on the Secret Agent's War in France

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Double Webs - Light on the Secret Agent's War in France
Jean Overton Fuller
Manufacturer: Putnam, London
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H42WHS

God's Web Site: Light, Color and Perception

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God's Web Site: Light, Color and Perception
Gary B. Lampert
Manufacturer: Medicine Bear Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1891850059

Book Description

Artist and engineer Dr. Gary B. Lampert attempts to explain the relationship between science, psychic energy and the "web" of all human souls which allows an increased understanding of reality and one's own ability to change it. Experiencing the various realms of psychic energy through symbolic words or images can expand consciousness and raise the healing energy in both the mind and body. Gary Lampert offers an interesting review of alternative states of "reality."

24 8 by11" color plates enhance this coffee table art book that examines the nature of light, energy, "reality" and "death."

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