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Notorious and Noble

Notorious and Noble

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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good, but short.
Review: Although I enjoy a light read, I also enjoy a thick book. Thus, I usually stear clear of anthologies. But, I read this because I love Judith Lansdowne's books, and I actually only read hers. This one didn't disappoint. A handsome rogue with the soul of an artist and a woman who's the only one to see it. A great story, a great romance, I just wish it had been longer.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good, but short.
Review: Although I enjoy a light read, I also enjoy a thick book. Thus, I usually stear clear of anthologies. But, I read this because I love Judith Lansdowne's books, and I actually only read hers. This one didn't disappoint. A handsome rogue with the soul of an artist and a woman who's the only one to see it. A great story, a great romance, I just wish it had been longer.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Not Good!
Review: As in all anthologies, all the stories included are not good. In this case, only Judith Lansdowne's story, "Fasincation" was enjoyable, and that with a certain frown at the end. The first story, "Seduction" was just okay, with a plain spinster, Amanda, having to stitch a nude painting to win a bet with a rake, Lord Rivenhall, to save her brother's inheritance. The third story, "Temptation" was just plain boring and I had to skim most of the story. Judith's "Fascination" was really good and fun to read. The Hawk, Lord Hawksworth, a notorious Earl who lived by his own set of rules, strides into a ball and knocks flat his step brother, Tolly, with two punches, then strides out. Miss Priscilla Pritkin, whose sister, Sarah, is planning on marrying Tolly, is enthralled and the magic between the Hawk and Priscilla is fun to read, especially the bath scene. However, one thing I did not like at all was the fact that Tolly had beaten his mistress, even knocked out her teeth. That is why the Hawk punched him and threatened to kill him if he ever did it again. Apparently, he had beaten her several times. The Hawk was concerned, especially after he fell for Priscilla, that he would harm Sarah. A reasonable concern and Judith ties it up at the end. It seemed that no one was really concerned about Sarah and Tolly's habit of beating women, because the love of Tolly for Sarah would cure the beast in Tolly and he would not harm Sarah. That was poorly done and a huge disservice to women everywhere. Everyone knows that love alone does not cure a batterer. Poorly done, Ms. Lansdowne.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: only one of the three is worth reading
Review: As in all anthologies, all the stories included are not good. In this case, only Judith Lansdowne's story, "Fasincation" was enjoyable, and that with a certain frown at the end. The first story, "Seduction" was just okay, with a plain spinster, Amanda, having to stitch a nude painting to win a bet with a rake, Lord Rivenhall, to save her brother's inheritance. The third story, "Temptation" was just plain boring and I had to skim most of the story. Judith's "Fascination" was really good and fun to read. The Hawk, Lord Hawksworth, a notorious Earl who lived by his own set of rules, strides into a ball and knocks flat his step brother, Tolly, with two punches, then strides out. Miss Priscilla Pritkin, whose sister, Sarah, is planning on marrying Tolly, is enthralled and the magic between the Hawk and Priscilla is fun to read, especially the bath scene. However, one thing I did not like at all was the fact that Tolly had beaten his mistress, even knocked out her teeth. That is why the Hawk punched him and threatened to kill him if he ever did it again. Apparently, he had beaten her several times. The Hawk was concerned, especially after he fell for Priscilla, that he would harm Sarah. A reasonable concern and Judith ties it up at the end. It seemed that no one was really concerned about Sarah and Tolly's habit of beating women, because the love of Tolly for Sarah would cure the beast in Tolly and he would not harm Sarah. That was poorly done and a huge disservice to women everywhere. Everyone knows that love alone does not cure a batterer. Poorly done, Ms. Lansdowne.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Very Disappointing!
Review: I agree with Grace. I read this book of short story romances and I absolutely agree with what Grace wrote, that Judith Lansdowne's Fascination was mostly a great story and that Priscilla and Hawk's love story made a great read but I also agree with her that the ending was bad, a big disappointment in that Priscilla's sister Sarah stills winds up in love with Hawk's sleazy step-brother Tolliver who beat his mistress and knocked her teeth out and I just don't think it was an appropriate ending as it made it seem that all it takes is love to cure an abusive man and I think it would have been more appropriate if Ms. Lansdowne had had Sarah dump Tolly when she found out about how he abused his mistress and found herself a true gentleman who wouldn't say hurtful things to her like the hurtful things that Tolly said to Sarah when they were in the carriage and the ruins of the abbey. I can picture Priscilla and Hawk having a wonderful loving marriage and life together where he treats her with love and respect but all I can see with Sarah and Tolly is a bad marriage with him treating her very badly and basically making her life a living hell. Now as for the other stories, Janice Bennett's Seduction was good and I liked the heroine Amanda but though the hero Lord Rivenhall could be charming at times, he was mostly too obnoxious but at least he wasn't so obnoxious that he would knock a woman's teeth out and the last story Temptation by Jeanne Savery was mostly good and I liked the hero Locke Tremain, Lord Brant and the heroine Tenacious Smythe (Tenny) but I could have done without the unpleasantness of the sleazy Lord Liviston and I think the author forgot to reveal who the mystery man was who helped Liviston get revenge on Tenny and Locke (but I had my suspicions about who he was) and it seemed that the story just ended too abrubtly and this is definitely not the best book of short story romances I have ever read!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Disappointing!!
Review: I just finished reading this book of short story romances yesterday and I absolutely agree with what the previous reviewer wrote, that Judith Lansdowne's Fascination was mostly a great story and that Priscilla and Hawk's love story made a great read but I also agree with her that the ending was bad, a big disappointment in that Priscilla's sister Sarah stills winds up in love with Hawk's sleazy step-brother Tolliver who beat his mistress and knocked her teeth out and I just don't think it was an appropriate ending as it made it seem that all it takes is love to cure an abusive man and I think it would have been more appropriate if Ms. Lansdowne had had Sarah dump Tolly when she found out about how he abused his mistress and found herself a true gentleman who wouldn't say hurtful things to her like Tolly said to her when they were in the carriage and the ruins of the abbey. Now as for the other stories, Janice Bennett's Seduction was good and I liked the heroine Amanda but though the hero Lord Rivenhall could be charming at times, he was mostly too obnoxious but at least he wasn't so obnoxious that he would knock a woman's teeth out and the last story Temptation by Jeanne Savery was mostly good and I liked the hero Locke Tremain, Lord Brant and the heroine Tenacious Smythe (Tenny) but I could have done without the unpleasantness of the sleazy Lord Liviston and I think the author forgot to reveal who the mystery man was who helped Liviston get revenge on Tenny and Locke (but I had my suspicions about who he was) and it seemed that the story just ended too abrubtly and this is definitely not the best book of short story romances I have ever read!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: I bought it for the gorgeous cover!
Review: This book has nothing to offer in terms of stories, but I just love the cover - John DeSlavo looking so dashingly romantic that made my knee weak. I am more than willing to hand over my hard-earned bucks for it.

5 stars for the publisher's marketing team + 0 star for the authors = 2.5 Stars overall .

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Not Good!
Review: This is without one of the most disappointing short-story romance anthologies I have ever read! The first story with the abusive Tolly and his basically getting away with it and still winning the love of Sarah who was stupidly convinced by Pricilla and Hawk to forgive him and give him another chance totally marred what could have been a terrific book! Yes it even marred the romance of Pricilla and Hawk!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Buy this book, if only for Lansdowne's novella.
Review: Three novellas in which women set out to reform rakes, though only one of the rakes really seems to qualify as a cad in need of reforming. The best of the three is Judith Lansdowne's and her rake has the soul of an artist, though he does have a horse no one else can ride. His story is full of good fun and high adventure, and it's worth the price of the paperback all by itself.


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