Heartless

Rating:
Summary: Heartfelt romance!
Review: Kat Martin is an uneven author, but this is one of her gems. The class-based characterization and plot is suspenseful and unpredictable as it unfolds. The heroine is spirited but sensitive and self-effacing in the right degrees, while the hero, though having that requisite brutal edge is tempered by our understanding of his background and his potential qualities, lurking just beneath the surface of his more obvious desire for the heroine.

I did NOT find the plot twist exaggerated for a romance, and found its development enticing and fun. It was gratifying to wait for the hero to realize his grave mistake and to imagine how he would handle it. What I also found engaging was the maintenance of the romantic tension throughout, something that is hard to do. The pacing was just right, with various discoveries and misunderstandings to keep the romantic plot alive and moving.

The ending was not as satisfactory (thus my rating) as I would hope. Like many romance authors, she makes the mistake of overshadowing the romantic conclusion with a melodramatic plot resolution. Too many things happen at once and not enough focus is placed on the resolution of the love plot itself. Some loose threads also remain because of the overly complicated ending.

One of the most gratifying things about this story was the introduction of their friends for upcoming novel RESTLESS. I am looking forward to reading it already and can only wonder how she will adequately introduce that pair for readers who have not read HEARTLESS, since their initial coming together here is priceless! It should be a very different dynamic as the personalities of the lovers are diametrically opposed to Justin and Ariel--a good strategy for a sequel.

A strong recommendation for Heartless itself. It is heartfelt without being corny, erotic without being kinky, suspenseful without being unbelievable, and fantastic good fun overall!

Rating:
Summary: Touching
Review: The hero, Justin, grew up without the love of his father, and grew to be a bitter, cynical man. Ariel, in her innocent yet intelligent manner, touches him in a way he never knew he could be touched. She reaches deep inside him and makes him feel, when he believed he'd lost the ability to. Because he never knew love first-hand, he does not realize right away that he has fallen in love with Ariel, but his heart refuses to let go, even when he believes she has betrayed him. Ariel is a strong, sensible dreamer who knows when to be realistic, and she knows how to stand her ground when necessary. When Justin falsely accuses her, she has to learn to trust him again, and in the process teaches him that he must prove to her that she can trust him. They both grow in the experience and become stronger people who understand that love is not taking, but giving. I rooted for Ariel when she stood up for herself and made Justin prove she could trust him. The ending makes you feel good, and you feel that the time spent reading the story was well worth it. Ms. Martin is an excellent writer, in the way she develops realistic characters with real emotions, plausible actions, and she writes scenes in such a descriptive way that you can visualize everything as if you are there, without being overly wordy. A well-written romance novel.

Rating:
Summary: Heartless
Review: The only thing I have to say about this book is that it was Great. Justin and Ariel love story was so amazing that I can't wait to read the one about Clayton and Kassandra in Restless.

Rating:
Summary: Very disappointing.
Review: This book was very boring. I couldn't get half way through it. Usually when I don't care for a book I will only read what's in the quotation marks and/or skip to the end. But I didn't even bother with this book.

Rating:
Summary: Very disappointing.
Review: This book was very boring. I couldn't get half way through it. Usually when I don't care for a book I will only read what's in the quotation marks and/or skip to the end. But I didn't even bother with this book.

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous
Review: This is definitely one on Kat Martin's best. No complaints at all from this one. I flipped the pages so fast in this one I read it on a Saturday afternoon. which is surprising for me, because I like shopping, and I read the book instead. :) People complain about these books at times, saying they are predictable, but they are romance. They are meant to help you escape, not to enrich your mind. When you read it, just take in the story and enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous
Review: This is definitely one on Kat Martin's best. No complaints at all from this one. I flipped the pages so fast in this one I read it on a Saturday afternoon. which is surprising for me, because I like shopping, and I read the book instead. :) People complain about these books at times, saying they are predictable, but they are romance. They are meant to help you escape, not to enrich your mind. When you read it, just take in the story and enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: Heart FULL of love & Values
Review: This is my first of Kat Martin and certainly not the last. I am happy my sister introduced me to her. Because of the interesting back description, I didn't hesistate in reading this one even if I haven't heard of Kat Martin before. I was right, the book was one a kind. In the first chapter however, I thought I wouldn't like Ariel Summers. I thought she was too ambitious and too high flown but as the story progress, I ended up admiring her. I don't think I would have the courage to make such bargain. Justin was a bit too cold and too hard for me in the beginning too. I actually feared him especially after reading the part wherein his father called him to his deathbed. But then slowly, you'll get to know him. He appears cold yet inside, there is something burning waiting to set free. He is actually scared and insecure. Ariel helped loosen him up and melted that ice by offering him her warm heart.

I liked the way Kat Martin touched my heart through her words & specially the ways statements was being said. Everything seems to be said & done at the right time and at the right moment. The misunderstanding & twist of this book is truly heart quenching. This is probably the only book that really made me cry for such a long time. I mean, I have been teary eyed in some books but this one actually made me sob. I cried for Ariel. I felt for her more probably because of her past, her being a farmer's daughter who worked hard to be a Lady. I don't want to ruin it for others so I'll just suggest you read the book and watch out for the chapter 15 to 18. The page 201 is my favorite. This part went to show that a person can be worth more IF he/she chooses to be. No amount of money or title or even high powered education can belittle someone who value oneself. Selfpride and Selfworth cannot be taught, it comes from within. Absolutely wonderful. This book is certainly not heartless but full of it and more. A MUST READ!

Rating:
Summary: Awesome Story of Trust
Review: Was it so wrong to dream of a better life, than the one she had? Ariel Summer, the fourteen year old daughter of a tenant farmer on the estate of the Earl of Greville didn't think so. She had heard stories that the Earl liked to have young mistresses - not really realizing what being a mistress entailed - and thought herself pretty clever in making a bargain with him. If he would send her to school, so that she could become a 'proper lady' she would become his mistress in order to pay him back. Being exceptionally pretty, a deal was struck and she was sent to a finishing school.

Justin Ross, the Earl of Greville, hadn't known love in his life, only rejection. The fact that he was formally adopted and inherited the title from his father was that he was the only male issue! Cold and hard as he was, his word was his bond, and a promise was made to his dying father to take care of this 'ward' of his father's. For the next two years, he continued to pay her expenses without Ariel knowing that the old Earl had died.

It was several years later that she was finished with the school and expected to pay her part of the bargain. Unfortunately for Ariel, she now had a better understanding of what being a mistress entailed and was prepared to ask that she be able pay back the Earl in some way other than expected. Unfortunately, the present Earl, was the bastard son of the old Earl she originally made her bargain with. Justin had read the letters she had sent, addressed to the Earl of Greville, over the past 4 years and he was enchanted with her innocence. Justin, never thought that he would feel emotion or passion again, but from the moment he saw Ariel, he was lost.

This was really great story. Ariel, while waiting for the Earl, met a man she thought would be Prince Charming, Philip Marlin - unknown to her he was really a notorious rake and a sworn enemy of Justin Ross. Ariel's most redeeming quality was her honesty, and she believed the lies that Philip told her about Justin. The fact that Justin would not release her from her debt made her think that Justin was the worst cad and very dangerous.

I have to mention that the secondary character of Justin's best friend Clay plays a very great part in helping Ariel to realize that Justin's wall of coldness is but a sham and that he really does have a heart. Clay also convinces Ariel that she could be the key in helping Justin realize that his heart could be made to experience love!

It was both a delight to see Justin and Ariel's interaction and watch the trust and love build and heartbreaking to see them almost lose everything due to the treachery of outside forces. The story is quite rich in sensuality and moves so swiftly that you cannot put it down. Wonderful story! Both Justin and Ariel are very well fleshed out and the author sneaks in a couple of secondary characters that give you a real taste of a sequel to come. For myself, I can't wait to hear the rest of the story!

Rating:
Summary: Kat Martin scores again!
Review: When I read the a review on HEARTLESS, I thought, "Oh, oh! Another plot placed in England in the early 19th century that has been done to death." Wrong! It could easily have been just another story of a poor peasant girl meets and falls in love with the local Earl....except Ms. Martin doesn't write anything just like anyone else. The peasant girl, Ariel, made a bargain with the Earl of Greville if he would send her to school so she could learn both academics and the fine art of being a lady when not to the manor born. By the time she graduates, the elderly Earl has passed on and his son, the handsome but cold-hearted Justin Ross is ready to collect on the bargain that was cast between the previous Earl and Ariel. She on the other hand has already made plans to renege on the arrangement. So begins a wonderful story of two people at opposite ends of the caste system that meet on the common ground known as love. They don't arrive at it easily, but once they do, sparks fly in the special way Ms. Martin has of making romantic scenes come alive and leaving you more then a little breathless! Oh, and as a special bonus....I understand there's a sequel to look forward to involving Justins friend, the handsome but slightly mysterious Clayton and Ariels spirtited friend Kassandra. This will be quite a twosome and I'm eagerly awaiting RESTLESS!