Saturday, September 8, 2007

Kalen Hughes 'Lord Sin'

Despite the worrisome lame title and tag line "Special Value $3.99" across the top of this book, it was surprisingly enjoyable. The sex scenes were best described as luscious and relatively frequent. The writing was good and plot was fine. I enjoyed the heroine as the character I never knew I really wanted to be. She's not an ass-kicking warrior type (my other fantasy) but a strong minded feminine widow who rides and shoots and who is genuinely liked by her male friends for who she is, not as an object to be attained.

So what's holding me back from loving this book? Two things: the hero was probably my first Beta hero (at least since I've had the Alpha/Beta hero difference pointed out to me) and I have to admit, I liked him but I didn't LUVVVV him. But much more importantly, I bought these two being in lust, but they never actually spoke to each other. Nothing, nada. It took me a while to notice but beside setting up their bargain to sleep together for six nights (long story), they really hardly speak. I'm not looking for them to pour their guts out the first time they're alone but a little discussion of, I don't know, that they think the other is hot, or smart or well dressed or something would have been nice. That having been said, decent book and I would pick up this author again.

Historical Romance 2007: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Okay, so this post has nothing to do with "Lord Sin" although I will admit that the title is a tempting baby name choice.

Do your dear readers know that if they comment enough, they can be unannounced, unofficial winners of a comment contest? I'm the happy winner of a copy of Guhrke's "And Then He Kissed Her"--woot! So start commenting, people, and you too can get a nice surprise in the mail!

With Guhrke's novel in mind, I noticed that this book and "Never Lie to a Lady" has the trope of the rake who cats about with loose women while proclaiming anti-marriage sentiments, but who, of course, is eventually reformed thanks to the love of a good, virtuous woman and wants a respectable, loyal marriage with the said (semi-)virginal, yet feisty and independent, heroine. I take it that most historical novels must make a nod to the conventions of the day which require women to be constrained by modesty, virtue and chastity. But it sounds like "Lord Sin" has a more sexually assertive heroine, yes? Is this unusual in a historical romance or relatively common?

Also, "And Then He Kissed Her" did remind me of the classic romance of "Jane Eyre" a bit--a rakish, upper class cad who married a foreign woman now discovers the appeal of a nice, homegrown English gal with strict moral principles and whose lower class status merely enhances her virtue since those nobles are so dissolute. Do you enjoy books like "Jane Eyre" or any of Jane Austen's oeuvre as well? Inquiring minds want to know.

Heloise said...

Um, I can't remember? Now we come to the reason I was not an English major. Right after having read a book, I love to talk about it. But when it comes to discussions of books in general, I can't remember them well enough to have intelligent opinions. Thus the reason this website does not have a list of my all time favorite romances. I'm not really sure.

So, read Jane Austen in high school, read her again in college. Liked them. Can't remember much beyond that. :)

Heloise said...

Lord Sin is unusual in figuring a widow who loved her husband and who seems to have had a satisfactory sex life with him. She has even taken a few lovers since he died. Again, not common. But I think the traditional virginal heroine is (while not going away) less monolithic than it used to be.

In the historicals I would say the rake is less deviated from than the virginal heroine. What is different than the historicals I used to read (in the day :) is that the heroine may start virginal but she doesn't fight very hard against the pull of desire, which is more satisfying to a modern reader but certainly plays fast and loose with most standards of the day.

Heloise said...

On the historical accuracy subject though, I am noticing authors paying a lot of attention to the social mores of the particular time period that they are writing within. Edwardian social standards being depicted quite differently than Regency and Victorian for instance.

As a medieval historian I'm no one to judge the accuracy of said differences but I'm willing to guess that there is some genuine knowledge being employed out there based on what I've been reading lately. Tempered, of course, by the writers desire to write a fun story that appeals to this genre's readers.

Heloise said...

And last but certainly not least, I believe Stewart just might be the next winner of the un-announced, un-official comment contest. Is he ready for his very own romance novel? I'm going to think long and hard, eh, hem, about what book to send him!

Anonymous said...

Ha! I like how I forced you to write four comments in response to my one. Yes! I think you should be the next winner of the comment contest....

Heloise said...

Pretty sneaky, Sis!

That's another reason you guys need to comment often, how pathetic would it be if you came out here and found me commenting to myself!