Lovin Fridays: The Bronze Horseman

There's a certain high that comes from waking up in the morning and realising it's a Friday. It's like the sun came up brighter. Sure it's not the same high you get when you realise it's Saturday but it sure comes close! To celebrate and stimulate those good feelings, we'll be running Lovin' Fridays.

On Lovin' Fridays, we'll post an excerpt from a novel with a declaration of love or a marriage proposal that gave us the warm and fuzzies, made us laugh, made us cry or made us think.

The following extract is from a book that made my heart burst with emotion. It was one of my favourite reads in 2008 and I dare say it will remain one of my favourite books of all time. I was careful to choose an excerpt that wouldn't reveal any plot secrets but that I felt demonstrated Tatiana and Alexander's love for each other.

But this was the thing: she didn't' lay claim to Alexander. She was not reclaiming him now. She was not going to a warehouse of love and saying I think he is mine, I'll take him. He'll do. Tatiana did not drive in her stake for the possession of his heart.

It was Alexander who came to her, while she was nothing but absorbed in her own small, lonely life, and showed her that larger than life was possible. Alexander was the one who crossed the street and said, I'm yours.

Alexander was the one.

Glancing at him, Tatiana saw that he was waiting patiently, confident and whole and perfect. The sun filtered in through the Church's stained glass windows. She breathed in the faint smell of long-gone incense...

When Tatiana had been a child in Luga, her beloved Deda, seeing her depressed one summer and unable to find her way, said to her, 'Ask yourself these three questions, Tatiana Metanova, and you will know who you are. Ask: what do you believe in? What do you hope for? But most important - ask what do you love?'

She looked up at Alexander. 'What did you call it, Shura?' she said quietly. 'Our first night, you said you and I had something, you called us...'

'The life force,' he replied.

I know who I am, she thought, taking his hand and turning to the altar. I am Tatiana. And I believe in, and hope for, and love Alexander for life.

(Extract from The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons, Page 436)

*Sigh* The life force. He calls her his life force. Yep. Feeling pretty good now.

If you'd like to check out my review, you can do so here however I have to warn you it is one of my earlier reviews and a bit more conversational in style.

Have you read The Bronze Horseman? What did you think? Did you finish the entire trilogy? Feel free to share your thoughts!

PS Happy Friday.

New Book Bloggers Yahoo Group

We've all made some wonderful friends through Book Blogging and to celebrate and nurture those friendships, we now have the Book Bloggers Community at Yahoo Groups.

This is a place for us all to chat and get to know each other a bit better and discuss the things that make our blogs successful and fun! We'll also use this group as a forum to list any upcoming events, book reviews, challenges, giveaways etc.

The group is open to anyone who'd like to join! Click the image to your left to sign up or follow the link here.

Vexing the Viscount by Emily Bryan

Published: March 2009

Pages: 301

Vexing the Viscount is a captivating blend of romance, adventure, amusing banter & saucy moments.

Daisy Drake was first introduced to us as a precocious child in the story, Pleasuring the Pirate. All grown up, she is now a woman ahead of her time, one who loves nothing more than the thrill of adventure.
Daisy speaks fluent French and can read ancient Latin but all that she knows of 'pleasures of the flesh' has been discovered from the journals of Blanche La Tour, an infamous French courtesan & Daisy's Great Aunt.

Lucian Beaumont, Viscount Rutland is determined to discover the location of an ancient Roman payroll & return his family's estate to its former glory. Lucian and Daisy are childhood adversaries and as adults the sparks continue to fly in more ways than one.
At the Society of Antiquaries Daisy regards an ancient phallus-like lamp with much interest and speculates whether it's life-sized. Lucian, at the society to petition for a financial partner in his expedition for the lost treasure, contributes some remarks of his own, on overhearing Daisy's ramblings.
Daisy masquerading as Blanche La Tour becomes Lucian's financial backer & Daisy herself is his assistant on the excavation site. What follows is a hilarious ride complete with searing sexual tension.

I loved the quotes from the journal of Blanche La Tour at the beginning of each chapter & the flashbacks to Londinium A.D. 405 were haunting insights into the love story of Caius & Deirdre & the subsequent tragedy.

Pick up Emily Bryan's latest novel if you want an enjoyable, engaging, slightly naughty read!

Child of the Phoenix by Barbara Erskine

Published: 1993


Pages: 1100

Finishing Child of the Phoenix meant that I have now read all of Barbara Erskine's novels (even if I was too chicken to finish Hiding from the Light). If you track her literary style during her career as a published author, there are definant similarities between all her novels. She writes about head-strong women and their interactions with the paranormal. Many of these books are ghost stories of sorts.

However, Child of the Phoenix is different in that it is the only one of Barbara Erskine's novels that is only set in one time period. It's a historical saga with that distinct Erskine flavour that makes it so special.

This book tracks Eleyne through the course of her life and as a modern woman, it served as a reminder of the adversity my own decendants have faced to achieve female equality. The things that Eleyne endures in her marriages are just horrific and she does fight back sometimes but the reality is that if she fought against every wrong committed against her, her life would've known no moments of peace. Whilst she is a forward-thinking, spirited woman for her time, she does pick her battles wisely. Which means that some of the characters get away with doing things to her that they would be jailed for today. Eleyne knew happiness but she by no means had a happy life.

This book really is such an epic. So if you're going to read it, devote a good two weeks to immersing yourself in the pages. I would certainly recommend it to anyone who likes Sharon Kay Pennman.

Royal Rating:

The Hunky Hero

Can you help our Hunky Hero???

He may have the physique of a roman statue but our poor Hunky Hero is none too bright when it comes to women. He wants to be a leading man but right now, he's no more than a secondary character. The Charles Bingley to Fitzwilliam Darcy. The Ashley Wilkes to Rhett Butler. The Frank Randall to Jamie Fraser. The...oh, you get the idea.

Determined to be the hero he was born to be, he's embarked on a mission to find out what it takes to win a woman's heart. But without the assistance of a few selfless book bloggers, our Hunky Hero is destined to wander the blogosphere forever shirtless, clueless and lonely.

You can help!

If The Royal Reviews Hunky Hero visits you please enlighten the poor man by blogging:

• Your favourite hero from a novel (and why he's so great)
• A short excerpt or quote involving that hero
• Who you would want to play the hero in a movie version of the book

After you've given our Hunky Hero an much needed education, please pass him on to five (5) other book bloggers you think might be able to teach him a thing or two about love by sending them a link to this post.

If you'd like an example post, please click here or browse some of the other posts listed in Mr Linky.

So we can keep track of his progress, please add your name to the Mr Linky below:

Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur

Published: 2006
Pages: 357

As an Australian myself I found it quite refreshing to read a paranormal/urban fantasy set in Melbourne.

Riley Jensen is half werewolf/half vampire, but her werewolf side is more dominant. Her twin brother Rhoan is also a rare hybrid, more vampire than werewolf. They both work for Melbourne's Directorate of Other Races, an organisation that polices & dispenses justice to supernatural beings. Rhoan is a guardian (assassin) and Riley a guardian liaison as she doesn't have the stomach for killing for a living. When Rhoan is kidnapped while on assignment, a mystery involving genetic research, cloning and experimental drugs evolves.

Smart-mouthed, kick-ass Riley teams up with dead sexy vampire Quinn to locate Rhoan while taking full advantage of their rampant hormones.
The nature of weres in Arthur's reality is well explained - they are highly sexually active in the days leading up to the full moon - often with multiple partners. Fulfilled moon lust is a way for werewolves to avoid bloodlust. Moon fever/moon lust was mentioned ad infinitum when I actually got the message and appreciated it, the first time round. That and a couple of 'cheesy' phrases in regards to the more 'physical' scenes in this novel prevented me from rating it higher. That aside, I will definitely be checking out the next book in this fun series

All in all, an enjoyable, fast paced, sexy romp with a healthy dose of scientific & government conspiracy. Oh and did I mention, lots of sex.

Forbidden Magic by Cheyenne McCray

Published: 2005

Pages: 440

The story begins with an interesting premise. Silver Ashcroft is a D’Anu Witch practising grey magic in the San Francisco coven, a coven sworn to use only white magic. When underworld demons Fomorii appear in the city, summoned by Darkwolf, leader of the Balorite warlock clan, an ancient battle of good vs evil ensues.

The Formorii attack Silver's coven taking many of them prisoner & Silver does the forbidden, summoning help from the Tuatha D'Danann, Fae warriors from the Otherworld. Hawk, one such winged warrior answers her call & prepares to defend civilisation against this ancient evil.

Sound good??
As I said the premise was interesting, even exciting but the train after leaving the station at breakneck speed, promptly derailed! Poor writing, glaring inconsistencies & crudely rendered sex.
I was so sure this author was going to be my next paranormal fave that I bought the first three in this "romance" series before reading the first book. Yeah I know, 'Big Mistake' and did I mention the romance classification, surely that must have been a mistake! This book should have had a 'seriously kinky sex' warning or at the very least an erotica classification, we are talking threesomes & foursomes. I could have dealt with the amount of sex (of which there was plenty) but crude euphemisms for genitalia - 'poking her channel' really did make me want to gag. I've read some very enjoyable erotic fiction but I draw the line at sex scenes that sound like they have been pulled off the pages of a bad porn magazine.

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Published: 2003
Pages: 292

Another fast, light read but I didn't enjoy Club Dead quite as much as the first two books. I think the funny factor was missing in this one!

The honeymoon is over for Sookie & Bill - Bill goes out of town on business & is kidnapped, Sookie heads to Jackson, Mississippi to track him down even though she believes he has betrayed her.

Alcide Herveaux, a werewolf helping Sookie locate Bill is a great addition to the cast. Eric has a feature role in Club Dead (I'm thoroughly enjoying this charismatic vamp) & Bubba makes another appearance. The chemistry between Sookie & Eric sizzles & although nothing 'physical' occurs, the potential is definitely there.

Plenty of page-turning action but Sookie once more on the brink of death *sigh* is becoming a little predictable. This was a bit like a bag of potato chips; tasty, 'moreish' but not very substantial...but I'm still hooked on the entertainment value.

Dark Prince by Christine Feehan

Copyright: 1999
Pages: 308

Christine Feehan where have you been all my life? This book was fantastic! It was so good, that I was listening to it on audio but I wanted to read it faster so I went and bought the paperback copy.

"I am a Carpathian male, long in the world of darkness. It is true that I feel very little, that my nature revels in the hunt, in the kill. To overcome the wild beast, we have to find our one half, our other half, the light to our darkness." The Carpathians are not vampires but if they don't find their life mate eventually the darkness over takes them and they must either commit themselves to the light (which kills them) or they will become Vampires. Carpathian's do not harm the innocent, Vampires feed on the blood of children and the innocent.

Whilst it took me a while to get my head around the Carpathians I loved them as a species. They are changelings and can change into any animal or bird, they are healers and use the earth and herbs to heal themselves (and blood of course). They feed on blood but don't ever hurt the human they feed from, they are supreme alpha males and yet they are useless without their mates and will die from the loss of her.

At the heart of this book is the most wonderful love story that just took my breath away! Here is a taste:
"I claim you as my life mate. I belong to you. I offer my life for you. I give to you my protection, my allegiance, my heart, my soul, and my body. I take into my keeping the same that is yours. Your life, happiness, and welfare will be cherished and placed above my own for all time. You are my life mate, bound to me for all eternity and always in my care."

I don't recommend that you run out and buy this book, I recommend that you run out and buy all 20 of them!!!!

Royal Rating:

Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell

Copyright: 2007
Pages: 375

Book Blurb: The Duke of Kylemore knows her as Soraya, London's most celebrated courtesan. Men fight duels to spend an hour in her company. And only he comes close to taming her. Flying in the face of society, he decides to make her his bride; then, she vanishes, seemingly into thin air. Dire circumstances have forced Verity Ashton to barter her innocence and change her name for the sake of her family. But Kylemore destroys her plans for a respectable life when he discovers her safe haven. He kidnaps her, sweeping her away to his hunting lodge in Scotland, where he vows to bend her to his will. There he seduces her anew. Verity spends night after night with him in his bed . . . and though she still dreams of escape and independence, she knows she can never flee the unexpected, unwelcome love for the proud, powerful lover who claims her both body and soul.

Review: This is the third of Anna Campbell's books I've read and it was quite different from the other two. This one created quite a bit of controversy in the romance world. I've been reading romance novels for about twenty-nine years now and many of the novels I read through the 80's where known as the 'bodice rippers' so I really didn't find this one shocking or offensive. This book contains 'forced' seduction and many reviewers have called it rape. This book is dark and yet it is still a sexy romantic read.

Royal Rating: