Lessons of Desire
by Madeline Hunter
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Book Reviews of Lessons of Desire
Book Review: Second in the Easterbrook quartet: an early feminist meets her match
Summary: 4 Stars
This is the second of a quartet of Georgian romances involving members or friends of the Rothwell family, the head of which is the Marquis of Easterbrook. It is set in England and Naples in about 1827.
The quartet consists of
1) "The Rules of Seduction"
2) This book, "Lessons of Desire"
3) "Secrets of Surrender"
4) "The Sins of Lord Easterbrook"
The heroine and central character of this book is Phaedra Blair, the natural daughter of a famous bluestocking and proto-feminist, who considered marriage to be a form of slavery for women and therefore refused to marry Phaedra's father, a radical MP, even when she became pregnant. Phaedra has inherited her mother's principles, beliefs, and willingness to defy society.
Phaedra is also the best friend of Alexia, heroine of the first book in this quartet, "The Rules of Seduction": and the hero of this book is Lord Elliott Rothwell, who is the youngest brother of the Marquis of Easterbrook and hence also the brother of the hero of the first book.
As the book begins, Phaedra's father has recently died, and the publishing house which she has inherited from him is about to publish his memoirs, which contain a number of explosive revelations. Lord Easterbrook is concerned to hear that among these may be the allegation that his late father, the previous Lord Easterbrook, arranged the death of his mother's lover. Believing this story to be untrue and unfair, he asks his brother Elliott to find Miss Blair and persuade her not to publish this story.
His reason for sending Lord Elliott is that Phaedra is away on a visit to Naples, where as a keen archaeologist Elliott also has reason to go. But when Elliott arrives, he discovers that Phaedra's freethinking ways, which caused a certain amount of shock in England, expose her to real danger of arrest or actual physical harm amongst the more antedeluvian parts of the Kingdom of Naples and the two Scillies. In fact he has to start by arranging her release from house arrest!
Lord Elliott's efforts to rescue Phaedra, from house arrest and then from an angry mob, have the effect of forcing them together in ways which are initially highly irritating to both parties - even though they soon realise that there is an irresistible attraction between them ...
I refer to these books as Georgian romances rather than regency ones for two reasons:
(i) they are set after the Prince Regent had become King as George IV
(ii) they are more "modern" in tone and plot than the style associated with the traditional "regency romance." This type of novel is sometimes now called a "regency historical" though as I mention above it is technically after the Regency!
In particular these books are rather less focussed on the intricate style of the "ton" as high society in London was known in the late 18th and early 19th century and more on the emotional development of the relationship between the main romantic protagonists. And they contain rather more sex than is normal for the regency romance genre.
Some Amazon reviewers have criticised recent "Regency Historicals" such as the novels by Stephanie Laurens, a prolific writer of romances set a decade or so before this book, for containing too much sex for their taste. If you are one of the readers who agreed with this criticism of "Bastion Club" novels such as "The Lady Chosen (Bastion Club)" you will probably think the same problem applies to "Lessons in Desire." By the same token, if you like the Bastion Club or Bar Cynster series there is a good chance that you will like this book.
Although this is a modern romance set in the 1820s rather than a historical romance, it is reasonably entertaining and well crafted. The plot is a bit implausible, but not so much so as to make it impossible to suspend disbelief while you are enjoying the book.
Book Review: Rather a downer by author whom I like
Summary: 3 Stars
Lord Elliot Rothwell discovers that a memoir will soon be published that contains an extremely damaging passage about his late father, the Marquess. The author of the memoir recently died, but his daughter, Phaedra Blair, plans to publish it posthumously. Elliot learns from his sister-in-law, her close friend, that Phaedra is in Italy, so Elliot travels there hoping to persuade her to remove the passage before the book is printed.
Phaedra's parents were well-known radical thinkers who flouted society's conventions... even refusing to marry when Phaedra was born. Phaedra has followed in her mother's footsteps. She views marriage as a prison sentence, advocates for free love, and behaves and dresses in uninhibited manner. Unfortunately, her unchecked behavior gets her in trouble with the patriarchal authorities in Naples. Charged with prostitution, instigating a duel, and visiting an area off-limits to women, she is placed under house arrest. Elliot arrives and saves the day...because the police captain mistakenly believes him to be Phaedra's fiancé! Phaedra is released on the condition Elliot keep her under his constant authority for as long as she is in the country, so she cannot cause any more trouble. Elliot gives his word. Phaedra is livid. She refuses to be controlled by any man - least of all an arrogant alpha-male such as Lord Elliot. Elliot is rather pleased with himself. He savors the thought of the beautiful and defiantly independent Phaedra under his thumb.
Madeleine Hunter is one of my favorite authors, but this book does not do it for me. It is not romantic, has an irksome leading lady, and is rather joyless. There are no sparks between Elliot and Phaedra - which is pretty amazing considering their wildly different inclinations! They never seem like a couple in love and are constantly analyzing the other's motives and worrying about who is dominant and who is submissive. Their main connection is sex and even this often seems tense and awkward. They do very little else together, even though they are both scholars and are in a country where they could spend hours exploring and discussing their common interests. I particularly dislike the character of Phaedra, who is alternately angry, obstinate, irrational, reckless, controlling and humorless - not particularly attractive traits in a leading lady. To be honest, I don't know how Elliot stays with her (and it makes him seem weak). Phaedra's stubborn adherence to her feminist doctrine seems mostly to make her unhappy, and certainly not very free. While this is probably what the author wants to convey, it is just too painful to get through. The underlying mystery and quality of writing are both good...just not enough to carry the rest.
Book Review: A great story of freedom and trust set in Naples and London
Summary: 5 Stars
The cover of this book and its title might suggest that it's one of the run-of-the mill historical romances which is more about sex than anything else. However, "Lessons Of Desire" was a pleasant surprise in that there was a great deal more to it than a sexy romance.
The heroine of the story, Phaedra Blair, appears to be a confirmed eccentric and bluestocking. The illegitimate daughter of a proponent of free love, Phaedra doesn't bow to conventional society's requirements - she dresses oddly, wears her hair down, is 'close friends' with men and consequently is treated as a social pariah, even worse in some ways than a mistress. She has just become the proprietor of a publishing concern and plans to print her father's memoirs - however, within those memoirs she has found evidence that her mother took a lover before her death and that the lover was a fraud and tricked her with a gift of a 'priceless' cameo from Pompeii. Phaedra wants to find out whether her mother really had taken a lover and whether she was deceived before publishing the book.
Unfortunately for Phaedra there's more in the book than just the mystery of her mother's love life. Her father also repeated a story about the late Marquess of Easterbrook which suggests that he may have had his wife's lover killed. The younger brother of the current Marquess, Elliot Rothwell, wants to stop publication of the book, or at least that section, and so goes to Naples to try to persuade or buy off Phaedra Blair. When he meets her, however, he has to rescue her from some social trouble but soon finds himself in more trouble. Phaedra's unconcern for the requirements of society mean that she is often misunderstood and she also comes across as a very prickly woman obsessed with independence from men, even as she knows she might actually be missing out.
What's excellent about this book is the setting in Naples and in a small village on the way to Vesuvius. The descriptions of travel, life, the colours and smells of the Italian countryside are wonderful. We meet many different characters, all described well and believable, as Phaedra finds herself amongst a circle of people of which her mother was a part. The final quarter of the book moves back to London but it's always a great read with Phaedra beginning to understand more about her mother's principles and also about how other people see relationships and marriage, not as a cage or trap but as security and safety. Elliot is a great hero and although Phaedra sometimes seems rather annoying she feels like a real person who is trying to learn from her mother's life but also to understand the way that others think.
Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book, www.curledup.com. © Helen Hancox 2007
Book Review: A modern woman's dilemma
Summary: 5 Stars
Most new romances I read these days leave me cold. I bought this book because I enjoyed the first in the series, but had low expectations for it because I do not enjoy the current trend in romances that portray women as all-powerful, all-independant, not needing a healthy, loving relationship with a man. At the same time these romances tend to portray men as weak, useless or unnecessary to women; fit only to cater to a woman's every silly whim. It's a trend that smacks of reverse chauvinism, and one I find almost as disturbing as the sex-before-emotional intensity trend in romances. No wonder most of the romances I (re)read these days are the "golden oldies" of pre-2000!
However, this book surprised me. It is deep, well-written and deals with a modern woman's dilemma: how does one who has been brought up on "feminist" ideals actually find a healthy balance between an innate, and perfectly natural, need for a serious, loving relationship with a strong, decent man and still retain one's independence of being?
Phaedra is not your usual romance heroine and there were times when she took her struggle for independence too far. But she evolved from her experiences, and at times her inner struggle was poignant and profound. I came to care for her, and could feel sympathy for her fears.
Elliot was simply a 5 star hero. Ms Hunter's skill at keeping Elliot an alpha-hero, and yet also having him grow as a man, overcoming his own personal fears of dominance and control, without losing the essence of his masculinity, was a marvel to read. His characterisation is impeccable.
My one complaint about the book is not unique to Ms Hunter's books, but one I have for many romances these days: the unfortunate use of gynaecological descriptions during the erotic scenes. Why, oh, why, in the middle of a steaming scene, do we have to have a bucket of cold water thrown in our faces with the use of highly unromantic words describing female genitalia, no matter how medically or technically or politically correct they are???
Ultimately, though, this book is well-plotted, with all loose ends neatly tied up; it has a satisfying and believable ending and it has kept me thinking days after I finished reading it: no mean feat for a romance these days!
I look forward to Rosalind's story (Book 3, excerpt at back of this book) and can hardly wait for the mystery of Christian to be unveiled - I wonder if he falls for Irene (Rosalind's sister, and also Alexia from Book 1's cousin)?
Well done, Ms Hunter!
Book Review: Sitting on the Fence
Summary: 4 Stars
I admit I'm a Madeline Hunter fan, so I'm giving her a little bit extra credit here, but seriously, I think I can be objective. Which is the problem. I can actually see both sides of the issues with the book. I know why some people don't like it, and I get why some do. I kind of had both reactions myself.
Phaedra Blair is a really different kind of heroine. She is not a strong willed, obstinate, spoiled, but nevertheless to-the-manor-born kind of gal. She was rasied by her parents, especially her mother to have a totally different mind set when it came to marriage and relationships. The fact that she is totally ostracized by society only makes it more real and not just a plot device. She has made an informed choice on how she wants to spend her life, and it will take something really powerful to make her change her mind.
Something like Elliot Rothwell. He, of all of the heroes I've seen, changes the most in this book. He starts out the typical English male who will work his wiles on Phaedra to get what he wants, but it backfires as he learns that what he wants is her and he's going to have to let go of some pretty ingrained ways of thinking to get her.
All this is different from the run of the mill romance novel, and the kinds of heroes and heroines we've come to expect. And while I love something different it doesn't make it necessarily...comfortable. She does seem blind at times to what kind of choice she is making, she has a tendency to leap before she looks and it takes her a long time to see that she needs to change her way of thinking too. And Elliott can look a bit weak at times because he loves her so much that he's willing to do almost anything to have her. So I can see that not sitting well with some or why they wouldn't like her.
I'm teetering on the fence here because while she frustrated me too, I can see that for someone like her it wouldn't be easy to let go of a lifetime of indoctronization. And I loved that Elliott admitted that he loved her and would do almost anything for her even though it went against his natural inclinations. I'll definitely give her props though for the love scenes that didn't seem forced there for the sake of sex but seemed a natural progression of two people who are consumed with each other.
I think, in retrospect, I'm falling off the fence on the side of liking the story very much after all. It's not the most comfortable read, but it's different and has a lot going for it.