Rating: 
Summary: 2 thumbs up for Ms. Henley
Review: I LOVED this book! I couldn't put it down. It has the time-travel element, which I'm fond of. But this time there is a twist. Instead of the man/woman being sent from modern times back into the past or vise/versa, the woman is sent from the past (1800's or so)FARTHER back into the past (ancient Rome). The characters were soul-mates. The only part I wasn't thrilled with was the ending. It was still a great book and WELL worth the read, but be prepared for a SLIGHT let-down on the ending - I won't spoil it. This was one of my favorites from Virginia Henley. I do hope she writes more books as sizzling as this one!
Rating: 
Summary: An all-around good read
Review: After I read and emjoyed A WOMAN OF PASSION, my first Virginia Henley book, I went in search of her backlist. If you can only read one of her books, pick up ENSLAVED. The storyline is intriguing and the characters were richly developed--the hero is absolutely to-die-for, and the heroine has serious backbone! Most of the book takes place in the English city of Bath, during the time of the Roman occupation. The historical setting was very nicely done, and reading a book set in this time period was a nice change of pace. I would give ENSLAVED five stars, but the sex scenes here were a bit over-the-top for me (speaking of "tops", the hero makes the heroine parade around without one in front of guests--which was a little much.) While the first sex scene was great, with the tension between the hero and heroine at fever pitch, the sex scenes that followed seemed to merely repeat what happened the first time around, without the requisite rise in sexual tension/plot development, and I found myself skimming over them. Not every reader will feel this way, though, so if long, intimate sex scenes in a romance are a requirement for you, this is a must-purchase! The emotion rang true on every page, making this book a definite keeper. Bonus: the ending is one that'll leave you dying to pick up another Henley novel. Brava!
Rating: 
Summary: Dumb, dumb, dumb!
Review: My mother-in-law is a voracious reader. She, along with her friends, exchange "reads" by the bagfull. I found this book in one of those bags and I thank God I didn't waste money buying it. This is simply the worst book I've ever read. A reader from Germany stated that Ms. Henley (apparently) wrote this in the style of the early bodice-rippers. If that is correct, I'm most delighted I've never read one. I like my stories to have some credibility, but I couldn't even muster a chuckle for this. It's poorly written, too. In one example, Marcus Magnus, the brutish Roman general and throbbing sex object, converses with his slavemaster about the upcoming orgy he organizes, "I have a problem regarding the feast I throw for the governor..." Now, it's a small thing, certainly, but I don't believe Romans "threw" feasts. There is nothing likable about Diana, the main female character. The sex is graphic without any beauty or elegance. Please pass up the urge to read this unless you are truly into campy, trite, underwritten stories.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible Story!
Review: As an avid reader of historical romance stories, this is my first Virginia Henley story - but I will read many more of her books! The story kept me captured in it's descriptions, emotions of characters, and vivid account of the different eras she spent time in. The time travel was very convincing and description of Roman times believable. Virginia uses research to embelish the fiction, and her writer's senses come forth through the conflicts of the characters. I could feel the frustration of the main character, Diana of wanting to express her womanhood, as well as the constrictive Victorian garments. I was particularly impressed with the last 50 pages or so - not knowing if the villians would come to justice, or what would happen next. It was difficult to put the book down, and sometimes it felt like I was almost experiencing the story - just as I would drift off to sleep! The passion and sex play I found wonderfully described and written - it all seemed real and help shaped who the characters were. They are vibrant characters, and it was wonderful that in the end they did realize that love is what is most important after all!
Rating:
Summary: An outstanding and unique historical romance!
Review: I have been a romance novel fan for several years now, and this book really stands out in the crowd! I have read all of Virginia Henley's books and find her to be one of the finest romantic storytellers of our time. This book is one of her best. It blends not only time travel, but told from the unique perspective of the Roman Empire, in all it's hedonistic glory. I have not come across another novel written in this time period and Ms. Henley describes it with breathtaking clarity. You feel as though you are there. The undying love, passion and incredible eroticism shared between Marcus and Diana will leave you breathless. You will come away feeling as though you just stepped out of a time machine and have experienced the agony and the ecstasy of Nero's empire and Marcus and Diana's timeless love. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading of any genre. Romance fans will adore it and those who have never tried romance will be hooked after this one!
Rating:
Summary: Great Time Travel Read
Review: This was a great time travel book. Diana travels back in time from the rule of Mad King George to the time of Roman rule in England. Diana is intrigued with anything from the Elizabethan era and finds her contemporary male counterparts lacking. While on a stroll from her plotting family she walks into a antique store and tries on for size a Roman Helmet. The next thing she knows she is in Bath during Roman Rule. While in Bath Diana falls in love with Roman General Marcus Magnus much to her dismay for to him she is nothing but a slave. But her situation can't come in between these two because they are soul mates and will experience many ups and downs before they will have their "Happily Ever After" ending. Such is the price when finding true love. This is one of my favorite books by Henley. The Characters are likeable, and Diana is not one of those insipid, selfish, nasty characters that sometime find there way into her novels. There is plenty of suspense, and of course there are the love scenes that Virgina is famous for. There is also the hisoric information that I love about her books. You almost can see yourself in Bath during the rule of the Romans. This is a book that I will keep.
Rating:
Summary: Sexy time-travel story
Review: Enslaved is a romance in the good old tradition of seventies and eighties bodice rippers à là Kathleen E. Woodiwiss: Flawlessly beautiful virginal teenage heroine, desired by every man with blood in his veins meets incredibly dark, tall and handsome, middle-aged and somewhat brutish hero desired by every living, breathing woman. I actually enjoyed it a lot for it is so wonderfully full of every traditional cliché. But the novel takes itself not too seriously and that's what makes it such great fun. Credibility? Henley doesn't even begin to bother with that. Not a sheltered young and naïve debutante but a contemporary saucy high school queen whose youthful hormones have run wild romps around Georgian society and later in ancient Roman Empire. Henley put her a corset on, made her a virgin and that's all Diana has got in common with a real girl of that era. Even the coming of age is that of modern times: 18. Let's forget that the coming of age had been 21 for eternity before it changed in the late 20th century. Besides Henley's Georgian heroines are miraculously able to master their own fortune with 18. A Georgian heroine would not have been able to control her own finances before her 25th birthday if ever at all. Furthermore she also changed the ancient beau ideal in the contemporary one. Diana is rail thin as a super model and her waist can be spanned by only one hand of her lover Marcus. Her wrist is a third of that of Marcus wrist. But nevertheless he is instantly attracted to that undernourished slip of a girl. Henley's Romans all of a sudden abandon their own beau ideal of broad-hipped, well rounded beauties with big butts for the modern ideal of scrawny nymphs. Henley just doesn't care at all about historical facts which I found very amusing. She also doesn't bother about political correctness. Marcus is a Schwarzenegger-like muscled and incredibly hairy bully whose virility is not always appealing. He actually slaps the heroine because she dares to protest against a roman orgy with prostitutes. The only reason why he doesn't beat the rebellious heroine to pulp is not that he's a nice, sophisticated guy who appreciates a woman with an own will and some backbone but because he is afraid to mar Diana's "delicately boned face" and her oh so refined beauty. And a refined beauty Diana must be for the authoress refers to it constantly. Yet it annoyed me that Henley felt obliged to weakly point out Diana's intelligence and wit when it is in fact only Diana's 21th. century Barbie-doll beauty and her virginity combined with limitless sensuality that totally enslaves poor lust driven Marcus Magnus. Allegedly he also loves to talk to her-yet we actually never see them talking together. Now, why doesn't that surprise me? Marcus is hilariously political incorrect, entirely testosterone-driven and utterly masculine which he constantly proves to the heroine on the battle field and in bed. He's seething with sexuality and that is what enslaves Diana. The sex is incredibly hot and steamy. Enslaved is erotica disguised as romance and I thoroughly enjoyed it. However if you look out for a story where the heroes are attracted to each other because of their personalities combined with a minimum of historical detail this is definitely not the book for you.
Rating:
Summary: This is the lowest I've ever rated any book
Review: This is the first book in my life that I couldn't finish. It's simply a porn!!!! This book just gives romance a bad name. No more book from Virginia Henley.
Rating:
Summary: A waste of Good Paper
Review: I bought this book 3 years ago,tried to read it ,and gave up. But recently ,upon reading some very glowing reviews ,I decided to give it another chance. It was just as bad as I recalled from 3 years ago! The prose was so purple that it was beyond funny. The heroine,Lady Diana,should have found her true calling-as a call girl. Her character was really over the top. She was not a girl of the regency period. As another person commented,it seemed that she had just stepped out from a shoppng mall.I was sick of her. For a girl who was supposedly very well read and highly inteligent,she did stupid things. I guess she was supposed to be fiesty, but she came off as really dense. For example,if you had just had a time travel experience and had been restored to your time period and you also knew that your evil aunt and uncle were plotting to get your money,would you tell everyone that you were missing because you had just time traveled back to ancient Bath during Roman occupation? Seems to me that that would gain you instant access to Bedlam. As for Mark/Marcus,I liked him a little better,but he was not very believable,either. As far as I could tell,there was no real plot. It seemed to be sex scenes thrown together with the barest of story. Virginia, you have done better.
Rating:
Summary: Enslaved
Review: I am new to romance novels however, those that I had read had left me wanting. Until I was introduced to Virginia Henley. I have thoroughly enjoyed all her books, but "Enslaved" is one of her best. Ms.Henley makes you feel as if you are truly in Aquae Sulis and Rome. The warmth, love and pain of the main characters is heart wrenching. I could not put this book down. An excellent read.
|
