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Rating: 
Summary: Skip this one!
Review: I don't know why I keep giving Ms. Joyce another chance. This one goes in the discard pile. I agree with the reviewer who described the book as "disjointed." I would describe all of her books that I have read this way. I may read any future of the "Deadly" series just to see where that story could possibly go, but I don't think I will be reading any others.
Rating: 
Summary: intrigue, dangerous emotions, confusion - GOOD
Review: I have to disagree with these reviewers that found this book "bad, and characters undeveloped". I found the characters very real in the sense that they were confused in their emotions. Cass, the lead, was one minute fiercely loyal and the next was ready to forget everyone and do exactly what she wanted to do. Don't we all feel that way sometimes? I got that she was sick of sacrificing herself for her selfish sister and finally did what she wanted with Antonio. Antonio, I admit, could have been more deeply developed. I didn't feel like I ever really got to know him at all. But I thought Joyce did a good job with the ghost aspect. I did feel sorry for Isabel - she was completely in love and loyal to that love and he was not! No wonder she was ticked off at everyone! I did find it a stretch that they stayed at the house as long as they did with all that was happening, but hey, it is a ghost story! People always stay in the haunted house when it's way past time to get out... I still have faith in Joyce. She remains one of my favs and I will continue to buy anything with her name on it.
Rating: 
Summary: Hello, Brenda? Why so DARK?
Review: It may be dark gothic romance, but it surely isn't the level of romance I've come to expect as a confirmed Brenda Joyce fan. However, if you like dark parapsychological historical gothics with some very strange tones, you'll love this one! Brenda worked a bit too hard to make this "odd", in my opinion -- and while I read it from cover to cover, I kept waiting for the "romance" aspect to bloom much more fully. In one particularly dark scene, the language and the physical union between Antonio and Cass borders on rape in a violent, fairly disturbing manner that was completely unappreciated. Other sex scenes are equally as unfulfilling and unsatisfying to this reader. Certainly, as a gifted writer, Ms. Joyce could have gotten her messsage and theme across in a much more creative manner. That being said, the author gets high points for weaving an intricate plot, creating great child characters and for incorporating Isabel's history in scenes that are well-done and quite strong (although a few were merely ill-timed breaks and annoying in their interference -- we'd already 'caught on', thanks!) Will this make me give up Brenda Joyce? Of course not -- every strong, talented writer deserves the chance to try something new and to push the envelope. And Brenda Joyce is TALENTED! This 'push' shouldn't be repeated, however -- please!
Rating:
Summary: Good story, but needs a proofreader and a thesaurus
Review: Ms. Joyce tells a good tale, she just needs a good proofreader and needs to invest in and use a thesaurus. The tale itself is a mixture of mystery, historical novel, and romance. The base of the story is that a woman who died 400 years ago is linked to two families. She feels that these two families betrayed her and she's still out to get them. The story mixes modern world with the story of this woman from 400 years in the past. Meanwhile, in modern times, you've got a pretty scary ghost story going on. The story itself is highly entertaining, as long as you don't pay attention to the details. Think of it as that highly entertaining, but critically unaclaimed movie that you watch just for fun. If you get caught up in the details that just aren't right, then make a game of it, because otherwise, it will make you crazy. When I say it needs proofing, I'm not kidding. There are places where a man is described as wearing a black coat and then two pages latter it's blue. She describes a young boy as having polio. Now this takes place in modern times and this child is less than ten years old. To my knowledge, a case of polio hasn't been reported in Western Europe in the last 10 or 20 years, so that's just totally bogus!! And then there was my favorite proofing error, "She hid her hands behind her face." I'm not sure this is anatomically possible. Ms. Joyce needs to get a thesaurus to try and cure her overuse of the word gaze. She loves this word, both as a noun and a verb and in one nights reading, I kept track. The longest Ms. Joyce could go without using some variation of this beloved word was two pages. If you want a fun read, go for it. But don't be looking for literary excellence.
Rating:
Summary: A scary but great romance story
Review: When Cass de Warenne (the historian) and her sister Trace (the jetsetter) go to Spain as the uninvted guests of the (noted historian) Antonio de le Barca, everything starts to tumble out of the closets. Trace is there for one reason: to lure Antonio back into her net; this is the man for her. There's only one rather scary problem: Isabel. There has been a long standing feud (only 445 years)between Isabel and both familes. Once Isabel made her debut I couldn't put this book down. You never knew what terrifying deed would happen next. This book is definitely worth taking the time to read.
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