Lord Sin (Book One: Rakes of London) Reviews

• I was hoping...

  
  By A2EIBZYSRSZZEJ on 2007-06-14
  I bought Lord Sin after reading the reviews posted below, and I must say that I wish I hadn't! This is VERY far from being "historical romance at its best" (although it's a great example of why romance novels have gotten a bad rap).
  
  In the first chapter alone I thought I was going to scream if Kalen Hughes used the word "humanity" once more to describe a crowd. She's also fond of throwing in what appear to me to be random vocab words of yore in order to validate the historical time frame, but it fails miserably (and I have no idea what she's talking about). Furthermore, there are little details that don't line up that drive me nuts. For example, the heroine and the hero share a steamy kiss on the stairs as she's heading to her rooms. Shortly thereafter, bathed and dress, she come down the hallway from her room (which is on the first floor)...um....OK.
  
  As a lover of romance, I have to say that this one is weak. There's simply not enough backstory and not enough depth.
  
  

• Yippee!! A Great New Author to Buy and Enjoy!!

  
  By A2OIX4KBD3FVC5 on 2007-05-16
  I was suspicious at first because it seemed the publisher had little faith in this author's work with a downgraded price. The banner across the top screams out the amount you can hardly purchase a quality chocolate bar for! However, this is a keeper of a book with perfectly drawn setting filled with delectible details that really bring the moment to life for the reader. The male lead, of course, broods away in the background, until he makes his fabulous pounce like the big ole' sensual cat that he portrays. The female lead is a breath of fresh air after the crop of "too stupid to live' broads we've been putting up with lately in romantic fiction. She has snap, grit and,when she wore a dress so low-- one night for dinner, that her freckles across the chest created a "constellation" of stars, I thought "yep--this one is a keeper!" Look at it this way--with it's bargain price you can enjoy a great book and THE quality chocolate bar together--heaven!
  
  

• Left me Breathless

  
  By A1WGCJVFR6JTDJ on 2007-05-15
  Lord Sin invents a whole new kind of historical heroine: Strong, unconventional, mature and sure of herself, yet sensual, feminine and very real.
  
  Looking forward to more!
  
  

• Where's the dialogue??

  
  By A9BQYWJ4IZWNM on 2007-12-26
  I liked this book quite a bit. The only problem I had was with the dialogue between the hero/heroine. Where was it??? the author spent most of the time going on about what was going on in their heads. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, I know, but please I do need some spoken words between the characters once in a while. Looking forward to her next book with hopefully more dialogue.....
  
  

• Historical romance at its best

  
  By A12BHYK1ZD4X0E on 2007-05-13
  This debut novel compares favorably with the very best in historical romance, Georgette Heyer, Roberta Gellis, Jane Aiken Hodge, Marsha Canham, and M.M. Kaye. Like these authors, Ms. Hughes brings the historical period to vivid life. Also, her complex, well developed characters act in accordance to the morality and behavior of the period.
  
  Unlike these writers, Ms. Hughes write a very sexy story. She creates tremendous sexual tension between the two main characters.
  
  Georgianna Exley is a scandalous widow who lives her life according to her own rules. But Ivo Dauntry killed a man to protect Georgianna's honor. Now he wants Georgianna to pay for his six years of exile. In many ways, this story is a reversal of Pride and Prejudice. Georgianna is proud and unwilling to give up her independence. Due to his class and upbringing, Ivo is prejudiced against Georgianna's independent and tomboyish ways.
  
  I loved this novel. It is one of the best historical novels that I have read in years.
  
  
  
  
• Deliciously Seductive Reading
  By AYFNND2XCUXF1 on 2007-12-28
  Zebra's debut author program continues to release fresh voices that delight and entertain thoroughly. Kalen Hughes and her first novel are no exception. With a breath of scandal, a whiff of devil-may-care lust, Lord Sin introduces the tale of two people who were never meant to be apart. But it takes a bit of blackmail, the perseverance of a bulldog and the heart of a man in love to see it through. He's found his match for sure, for never was there a woman so willing to play dirty in turn.
  
  Ivo Dauntry is back from six years in exile, time spent in humiliation for coming to the defense of the hoydenish Mrs. Georgianna Exley. Though he vows she is no business of his, she's in the same circles as he almost as soon as he returns home, her lush figure and daring, wild ways inducing him into a firestorm of wanton need. Despite the disappointing blow dealt his family, he will have her again, as recompense for his long sacrifice away from home. Meanwhile, George, as she's known to her inner circle of admirers, enjoys a life less ordinary as one of the most daring women in London, hosting an almost nonstop house party of men ever since she came out of mourning for her husband. It is this reputation that Ivo returns to, and one that emboldens him further into her life. Despite her resolve to give Ivo no more time than she would any of her lovers, the man wrestles a much grander bargain from her--six nights of sensual engagement to appease his six years spent in exile. Ivo will use those nights to gain all he wants from her and so much more. When danger sets its sights on Mrs. Exley, Ivo will find himself in a precarious spot, one in which George might not let him come to her defense this time. But he's waited too long to make her his, and Ivo has even more iron will than she imagined.
  
  I loved this book. From the first page, when it hints of Ivo's love for a married woman, to the grand country house party at Christmas, Ivo and George sweep the reader along in their tale of lust driven love that turned oh so sweet and tender along the way. A little dismayed at first for his revenge driven reasoning, Ivo in turn surprised me with his depth of feeling. It was almost as if he and George had a reversal of roles from the traditional setup in similarly written romances. Ivo displays all the tender, sincere emotions of love, while our daring Mrs. Exley has fairly flown in the face of society with her less than lady-like ways. The rake, by an interesting twist, is not Ivo, but George. From her expertise with a firearm, to her impeccable seat in the saddle, she can give as good--and often better--than any man around her. And it works beautifully. Without a doubt, she is one of the most interesting heroines in historical romance for me. Ivo was almost as intimidated by her as her puppyish circle of male admirers, but he resolves to make her his own. It's the iron willed resolve of a man in love and he does whatever he has to in order to make her his, a pursuit that was heart fluttering a sigh worthy. There was a time or two (as we often see with the MEN in romances) where I wanted to slap some sense into George for her less than gracious treatment of Ivo and in turn I wanted to smack him on the rear a time or two to get him moving along a little more forcefully. The role reversal and combined push and pull of the hero and heroine made for a delightfully suspenseful atmosphere of will they or won't they already. My one gripe about the storyline was the role of the villain. It's so underdeveloped that the story almost could have done without it and been fine. There was not much effort made into unveiling the reasoning behind the villain's pursuit of George and those intrusions into the story felt just like that--intrusions that took away from Ivo and George. And the second gripe was the almost uncaring attitude about the six years--six!!--spent in exile by Ivo, no small amount of time to pay for what wasn't even really a mistake on his part. I wished over and over while reading the book that George would recognize that sacrifice in some other way than the agreement of six nights with Ivo. It was almost as if, since he'd gotten to return home, that it was done with and in the past, when in fact it hung over them like a bad mark. Other than that--this is a definite keeper and very good reread material. It wraps up, despite the few problems, very well and the author even provides a wonderful little look into the history of the time in her Author's Note at the end of the book. In conclusion, I cannot wait to see what is next from this author--and in fact we already have a new release forthcoming. Lord Scandal, about George's close friend, Gabriel--aka Brimstone, will release in June of 2008.
  
  Lord Scandal
  
  
• Horrible.........Don't waste your money
  By A1BF19MV2JLR32 on 2008-02-28
  This will be the first book I have ever reviewed, only because I have never hated a book more.
  
  I bought this because of the great price and the other 22 reviews that mostly celebrated this book. I can assure you after reading thousands of romances over twenty years this is the worst piece of work that I have ever read.
  
  The thought of the heroine was provoking but I never really got to like or know her. The main characters never spoke to each other and when they did there was no substance to any of it. I was tired of reading about lust in the characters heads and not hear them speak the words to each other. There was no romance, no real emotion. I never really understood how they could have possibly fallen in love, it just made no sense.
  
  Where the heck did the title come from.........
  
  This book will be a fire starter in my Chimenea......
  
  
• Intense and interesting...not perfect...but quite good [3 1/2 stars]
  By A14GEA3EZCYCRK on 2007-05-30
  Six years ago while away in Paris, Ivo Dauntry killed a man. The man was drunk and manhandling the lovely young Mrs. Georgianna "George" Exley. Ivo - who was rather infatuated with George - interceded to protect her. A fight ensued, leading to swordplay, and Ivo was forced to kill the man in a "kill or be killed" situation. It was quite scandalous, and rather awkward for George with her husband, but fortunately it was hushed up by their aristocratic relations. Ivo was nonetheless cast off by his family, and he has not set foot in England for six years. Now Ivo's cousin has died and he has been called home to assume the title of Earl of Somercote. George is now a widow and is even more alluring than in Ivo's dreams - but she is no longer the innocent girl he remembers. She is now a popular and outrageous society hostess with a hoard of male admirers. And she has a most unusual rule for those lucky few she takes as lovers - only a SINGLE night in her bed. Ivo has given up six years of his life for the only woman whose virtue he ever defended - and he is determined to get a night for every one of those lost years.
  
  I liked this book overall, even though it could use some more details and more dialogue between the leads. It had an interesting and unusual storyline and the physical relationship between Ivo and George was well done - intense and somewhat dark. I liked how the narration alternated between them, showcasing the couple's misconceptions and vulnerabilities. However, I felt that Ivo and George did not converse enough. This put a slight drag on parts of the story and, more importantly, it made their relationship seem mostly just sexual. And the lack of sufficient background information left me sometimes adrift. On balance, though, it was a good read with good atmosphere and some good intimate scenes. Ms. Hughes has a nice sophistication and phrasing to her writing that I quite enjoy. If this is the caliber of her debut, then I will definitely be looking for her next book.
  
  
• Steamy
  By A2B4BKDY9EA617 on 2007-07-06
  I have to admit I don't usually read this genre, but I picked this one up after hearing great things about it. Wow! I'm pretty sure I was actually blushing in my airplane seat. I love the story about a strong woman who's not afraid to take what she wants, but what she really pines for to just be "taken." The push and pull between the main characters is palpable. It jumps off the page. Looking forward to the next one, but could the next title be a little less obvious? The thrill of the book is its careful subtlety and pace.
  
  
• Delicious and Sexy Debut
  By A1EJKQD72ZO2AP on 2007-08-27
  Ivo Dauntry has spent six years in exile for a duel over the honor of the beautiful Georgiana Exley. Upon his return, Ivo learns the lovely and now widowed willful, independent, and passionate Georgiana is not the same woman he defended in his youth. Angered by this discovery, he is determined on revenge for his lost life, but soon is lured to the new sensual, older and wiser Georgiana. The passionate Georgiana never allows her lovers more than one night in her bed, but as part of Ivo's revenge, he demands six nights. As Ivo and Geogiana are drawn together again, will six nights be enough or will the lure of their desires bind them even closer? As the reader gets caught up in this sensual, well-written story, it is hard to believe it is written by a debut author. Kalen Hughes is an author to look for in the future. New historical romance fans are looking forward to her next release!
  
  
• Seduced me....
  By A1X1X16Y7PCWNH on 2007-05-09
  After reading the excerpt I knew I had to follow it through and buy this book. Simply put, I loved the story of Georgie and Ivo.
  Every page had me waiting in anticipation for the next. First and foremost for me is that a story be entertaining. I have to agree with Patricia Simpson when she said "The two main characters, each living on the fringes of civilized behavior, had a sexual tension that just about caught my hair on fire.'' I felt as if I knew these characters well and was part of their group as they attended the parties and socials. To me Kalen Hughes knows very well how to pull her reader right into the story as if they themselves were there. The sexual tension and lingering lust was very enticing to the reader . I think it was well done and if it had gone beyond the 301 pages, I'd have loved every word. Can't wait till her next book comes out.
  
  
  
• spicy fun
  By A35D1CMLOU2K6H on 2007-05-10
  
  A fun read. This is lively romp with fun love/sex scenes. the heroine and hero are hot and realistic. The author uses real language to describe the action. the bodices are ripped to reveal real bodies not cute euphemisms.
  I enjoyed this book by a new author very much indeed.
  
  
• SEXY
  By A2OEYQA20DT6I4 on 2007-05-13
  My husband and I enjoyed Kalen Hughes' book, well, ecstatically. I wanted to be Georginia at the party outside on the bench somewhat covered by the night. I was and we both thank you, immensely.
  
  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
  
  
• Exquisitely Erotic
  By A142S4517VPTO5 on 2007-05-26
  This novel was a delight! Kalen Hughes' prose is exquisite, and the love story was breathtakingly sensual. She clearly knows her history, and infused the book with rich period details that only enhanced and never weighed down the story. Can't wait for her next book!
  
  
• Fantastic new author!
  By A1F52Q9VVELNRU on 2007-06-01
  What a delightful read from a debut author! Cozy up on your chaise lounge and get ready for one fast read. Wonderful details, sexy prose,compelling characters. I don't usually like the Georgian period as much as the regency period but Ms. Hughes brought this period alive and made it accessible and exciting. This one's going on my keeper shelf.
  
  
  
• Georgian era leaps to life
  By A372HS6NO7J95A on 2007-05-09
  Kalen Hughes paints the Georgian world with a lush and lusty brush. Not an obvious plot? The Georgians were sophisticated and civilized--but most of all--masters of subtlety. They could say more with a raised eyebrow over a glass of claret than with a loaded dueling pistol. The two main characters, each living on the fringes of civilized behavior, had a sexual tension that just about caught my hair on fire. Great first book!
  
  
  
• Spectacular Debut
  By A21WO7PS5TATSI on 2007-05-11
  This is a perfect book to cuddle up with a cup of tea and a "biscuit" (as they say in England) or two and be swept away in a dreamy romance. Kalen Hughes has such a wonderful sense of the period that you'll feel like you've been dropped right into Georgian England. Georgianna is a refreshing heroine--not at all the conventional miss--who meets her match in the yummy Ivo. And did I mention sexy? (waving fan).
  
  
• Delicious and Steamy! (B+ Grade)
  By A1AKQ1YUS4BT82 on 2007-07-20
  Lord Sin, the first book by new author Kalen Hughes is simply a delicious and hot romp in the lat 18th century. The hero lusts and is so obsessed with the heroine that he can hardly sit still because he is so... frustrated for her.
  Ivo is a man after my own heart, because after six years of a scandal he suffered due in part to the woman of his desires, he has come back to England and when their eyes finally meet, it is scorching. (Any author who can make that emotional so well on paper is amazing)
  The heroine George is not the normal run of the mill virginal nitwits found in other novels. She has been married to a man she adored, taken lovers (at her own discretion) and is surrounded by men and women alike who love her just the way she is. If a man wants her and she feels the same, her rule is she will only have one night with them. But when Ivo enters the picture, he wants six nights for the six years missing between them.
  There is a little unneeded mystery about someone trying to kill George, but it doesn't overtake the story. This is all about an alpha male taking what is due him and that is his mate.
  For anyone who likes their romance, hot, sweaty and a little dirty, you must read this one.
  If Hughes continues writing this way, she has a bright future in store.
  
  Katiebabs
  
  
  
  
• Lordie Lordie!
  By ANQX2TVNJASBD on 2007-10-15
  From the moment I picked up this book, I knew that I was in for a rich and detailed world filled with love and lust. The historical world Kalen Hughes creates for us is one many historical writers have a tendency to gloss over. Lord Sin has amazing depth and intelligence all around. Her characters are beautifully flawed, which sets up for a realistic, hot story I didn't want to put down. Wonderful, wonderful debut!
  
  
• Only OK
  By A3K4ZJWY9APOSG on 2008-01-31
  I don't know what the big deal is about this book... it was only okay. I think the premise for the book is good, but it just didn't flow right. Sometimes the sequence of events and dialogue felt choppy, like a sentence or paragraph was missing. It also annoyed me that the hero was always being called and referred to by a different name... I understand that he has titles and etc, but just pick one.
  
  Normally I finish a romance in 2 days or less and I've been working on this for more than a week. I'd say wait till it comes to your local library....
  
  
• Lord Sin? Lord Snore.
  By A264UDLWWRJ7X4 on 2008-03-04
  I bought this because it's a new author in a new line which is attempting to make romance novels more affordable. Terrific notion. But if these novels are just an unreadable snore-fest, then the money is wasted anyway.
  
  This poor author could really use an editor -- preferably one who knows something about dialogue. This book is made up of a series of one or two-sentence paragraphs interspersed with a conversation about once every ten pages. Don't get me wrong -- I have nothing against narration. But this book is ALL narration.
  
  The reader cares nothing about these characters because they never come alive. How can they? The author never lets them talk. The novel reads like it was written from memory by someone who overhead the plot by eavesdropping in a restaurant. After the first hundred pages, I tried skipping over the interminable narration to get to the sex scenes but they were just as mechanical and sleep-inducing as the rest of the novel. And this is the caliber of book which makes it to the Golden Heart finals? Who was judging that year? Gertrude Stein?
  
  Save your money and try another press. Come to think of it, I have never read a Zebra Press book which was first-rate. They must pay their authors in Confederate script.
  
  This author should try reading Lisa Kleyas or Julia Quinn and find out a little about dialogue before she bores us all again.
  
  
• Not so typical
  By AJ6V9N5B67BMB on 2007-05-09
  Definitely hotter than most regencies I've read, I found this book highly entertaining, as well as titillating. There isn't much to the plot, as another reviewer has complained, but I didn't miss it much and what there was of it was logical and engrossing. The historical detail was excellent! I'm a bit of a history snob myself and I've a feeling that Hughes is just my kind of girl when it comes to researching to a ridiculous level of minutae, but it gave the writing and the speech a wonderfully authentic feel.
  
  This piece is really about the romance, the internal lives of the two protagonists and their relations to each other. Their hot, hot relations to each other! I also enjoyed the heroine's status as something other than an ingenue or previously unfulfilled widow. She was a whole person with her own agenda that the hero had to fit himself into, rather than having her shape herself to his world.
  
  A good debut. I'm looking forward to more of the author's work, for sure.
  
  
• An exciting debut
  By AC9M1P13PQC7K on 2007-05-09
  A good, racy read. It is definitely more of a "pure" romance, with a heavy focus on a passionate couple making it work--the romance is central, not tacked on. Hughes also does a great job of immersing you in the period. Oh, and has anyone mentioned that it's really hot?
  
  
• SLOW
  By A29N9BIGUBJYLO on 2008-03-13
  Was disappointed in this book. Found it to drag in many spots. It had some good moments but I thought it was over all pretty boring and I did not find the sex scenes very hot. Pretty Shallow. I also found all the missed typos annoying. Who did the editing?? They should take a pay cut.
  
  
• Georgianna and Ivo
  By ADHP9733MJPGS on 2008-05-05
  Ivo killed a man duel 6 years ago defending Georgianna's honor and then he left the city. Upon his return he hears rumors that the honor he had defended for Georgianna was nonexistant. He vows that she will break her one night lover rule and give him 6 nights, one for each year he was gone. Georgianna, often referred to as George, agrees to Ivo's stipulation because she is drawn to him in a way that she cannot explain. While Georgianna struggles to remain emotionally seperated, Ivo plots to make her his. Will Georgianna give Ivo the full six nights? Will Ivo succeed in winning Georgianna's love? Or will the revenge of a twisted psychopath seperate them forever?
  
  This book had the makings of a great romance novel with an interesting plot but I feel it came up way short. I thought the story lacked depth. An example...I could not understand why Ivo left after the duel. It does not state if he was forced to leave by his family, society or even the law enforcement. I thought the author jumped from situation to situation without going into enough detail to explain what happened so I constantly found myself lost and having to reread pages to try and see what I had missed, especially during the intimate parts. About halfway thru the book I stopped trying to find the missing pieces because I realized they were not there. I found most of the "TETE-A-TETE"'s at the beginning of most of the chapters even more confusing, with most of them I had no idea what they were talking about. I thought Ivo was a weak male, he referred to Georgianna several times as being masculine. I found this extremely odd and well out of place. Overall I do not recommend this book.
  
  

• Sinful Between the Sheets (Carlisle Family, Book 2)
• Lord Scandal (Book Two: Rakes of London)
• Wicked Under the Covers (Carlisle Family, Book 1)
• Naughty by Nature (Carlisle Family, Book 3)
• A Dangerous Beauty (Widows Club, Book 1)