Rating:  Summary: Boring, Unbelieveable and not Jude Devereaux's Best Review: Many other readers have written reviews so this will be short. I found Clayton to be just plain stupid, weak, and an all around jerk. Although I know this is just a story it's totally unbelieveable. I just could not believe that a rich supposedly smart man could fall to Bianca's blackmail, especially at this particular time period. Bianca is hateful and mean. Nicole is too good to be true. I love Jude Devereaux's books, but I hated this one.
Rating:  Summary: Clay thought he was getting one bride; he got another! Review: This book was passionate, and full of romance. I rate it *****. The way Jude Deveraux writes is just breathtaking. She can make you cry, laugh, jump for joy, or fill you with hatred toward the villian. She is truly gifted especially in this mini-series, The James River Trilogy.
Rating:  Summary: A Classic from Judy Review: This is another keeper from Jude Deveraux, but personally its nowwhere near as good as AKISA, but oh well...we can't paint the Mona Lisa more than once or something like that...I like the leading lady: she seems cute and adorable, strong-willed and passionate... the hero is not too happy to find her in the place of his fiance but things heat up anyway... its got witty dialogue, sizzling sex, compromising situations, and well passion... it keeps me up at night :)
Rating:  Summary: Disappointing Review: This is one of Ms. Deveraux's earlier books and while it does demonstrate her potential, I would not recommend reading it. The beginning was engrossing and then it starts to fall apart. You're cursing the hero and the heroine and trying to keep track of all the new and "cliffhanger" characters that are randomly thrown in every few pages, and after a while it's like....who cares anymore? I didn't.
Rating:  Summary: Wonderfully written Review: This is probably my favorite out of all the books that Jude Deveraux has written. I was drawn to the heroine but not so much to the hero. While I was reading, I kept wondering at Clay's stupidity where he had this incredible once in a life opportunity to be with a woman who loved him at the depth that Nicole did. It was obvious that Nicole loved him from the beginning but Clay in response did not appreciate her as say his best friend and everyone else. And his dog in the manger attitude annoyed me to no end. But thankfully, he came back to his senses at the end although he almost lost Nicole.
Rating:  Summary: Twists and turns on the road to happiness! Review: Very entertaining, clever plotting and memorable characters. Nicole Courtalain, a traumatized aristocratic refugee from the French Revolution, is kidnapped by mistake by agents of Clayton Armstrong (a strong minded American plantation workaholic who controls and manipulates everyone around him.) Finding himself married by proxy to the wrong bride (but emotionally and erotically drawn to her), is Clay's first lesson in life-doesn't-always-go-as-planned. (Nicole, having escaped the arrest of her parents, burning of her ancestral home, living as a commoner and learning a miller's trade, narrow escape to England, and working as a maid to an arrogantly unhappy Englishwoman--has already learned this lesson.) Nicole falls in love with Clay early and is torn and humiliated by Clay's slow warming to the idea that Nicole may not be such a bad "second choice." Every time it seems like the two may have achieved a "happy ending" an unexpected twist appears to tear them apart. It is not until Nicole grows in strength and confidence and Clay hits rock bottom and learns that love, loyalty and friendship (not things, control or set plans) are the foundation for lasting love and happiness, that the final "happy ending" occurs.
Rating:  Summary: Horrendously bad Review: Waste of paper and ink. I ended up using it to line my bird cage and feed a cozy fire in my fireplace. I felt the characters had no depth and the writing had no richness at all to it. It read like "Jane ran to catch the ball. Run Jane Run!" Also there were long episodes filled with nothing of any importance. The love scenes were entirely uninspired. I was also insulted by her portrayal of Bianca, the constant references to her weight as if it was of any pertinence to how evil and childish the character is. Very stereotypical: Bianca is fat, lazy and bad, Nicole is thin, hard working and good. Jude also seemed to waste what little sense of humor she has on describing how fat Bianca is and begins to sound like a kindergartener teasing a classmate. That alone would make me hate the book, but there's also the [disappointing] writing and meandering, predictable, boring plotline. I'd only use this book to prop up a broken table leg.
Rating:  Summary: Funny, romantic, full of adventure, who could ask for more? Review: When I read this, I thought it was funny, brilliant, romantic, etc. I think that Jude Deveraux did a great job on this book.
Rating:  Summary: Enchanting! Review: _Counterfeit Lady_, the first of the James River Trilogy of books is an engaging story, one that will keep you preoccupied until you reach the end. Searching to reclaim the happiness he's lost, Clay Armstrong plots to have the woman he loves, Bianca, kidnapped and brought to him in America. Plans go awry and he's met by Nicole Courtalain. A turbulent romance begins between the two, with Clay fighting his supposed love for Bianca and Nicole fighting to show Clay that she's the one for him. You'll find yourself almost screaming at Clay's absurd stupidity and hoping that Nicole will punch Bianca. You'll feel the desperation, the love, and every other emotion in this book as if you're living them yourself. The book and characters are so well written, you'll even find yourself feeling sorry for Bianca. Ms. Deveraux really outdid herself with this book and the others that follow in the series. The perfect book for those wanting to experience the magic that is Jude Deveraux's writing.
|