SUMMARY ¶ TEXASBEERGUIDE.COM ☆ Liz Carlyle
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
A Bride By Moonlight is book four of the Fraternitas Aureae Crucis series. And yes that is such a complex spelling for a series? But once you read these books you begin to understand the reasoning of it a bit more. This book *sigh* was a struggle and I am not sure if it was just because it was my first historical in a long while, lack of energy or my mood but this took me almost a week to read and that is just not me even for a historical which I have struggled with lately. So I am not sure how long this review will be, but I do want to share my honest thoughts about this story.
A Bride By Moonlight is a story that is about two more opposite of people Lisette and Napier. Napier is a man that works with and is a defender of upholding the laws of the land. Lisette, is a woman who has a dark past and pushes the boundaries of the law. But Napier and Lisette come to an arrangement of sorts, a fake engagement to help solve a mystery and a murder mystery at that. Lisette is used to pushing men away, she doesn't like to get emotionally involved but with Napier its different. They have passion between them but there is something deeper and he is proving to be more of a challenge to let go of.
This is a story that I will say was confusing to say the least. The first half of the book was a huge struggle, so I really felt I had to force my way through it. I am not sure why I kept up with this one to be honest. I haven't read this author in years so I also had to adjust to her writing style which I definitely wasn't used to since its been so long. But I just wanted to love it. And even though I ended up liking some aspects of the story, it just didn't pull me in, or engage me and quite frankly I didn't feel the emotion that I wanted to feel between these two. As a plus though, there is a well written mystery that is put into play in this story and I definitely had a fun time with that. The second half of the book is definitely a vast improvement and I highly recommend that if you want to pick this one up, do so but stick with it and I guarantee that it does get better.
Overall, even though it didn't quite meet my expectations, it had such promise within its pages, and was a solid story of intrigue, unrequited love and the power of opposites being attracted....
Mass Market Paperback 3.5
Los personajes me han gustado mucho. Es una buena novela y está bien escrita. La autora se toma muhco cuidado en describirnos todos los persoanjes, no tan solo los protagonistas, sino también los muchos secundarios que aparecen. Pero la novela, una pena, se centra principalmente en esas circunstancias extrañas que rodean las dos recientes muertes ocurridas en la mansión dejando, a mi parecer, un poco de lado la relación entre ellos. Una pena, en serio, porque he disfrutado mucho de las conversaciones entre ambos, en cómo Royden va perdiendo ese estiramento y rectitud a medida que Elizabeth le va conquistando.
Es una novel extensa y en algunos momentos me ha dado la sensación de que no avanzaba. Mass Market Paperback 3'5 Estrellas. Éste libro me ha dejado bastante satisfecha, y lo he disfrutado mucho, pero también es cierto que no ha dado mucho de sí. La historia es interesante, los personajes son interesantes también, y por supuesto el gran elenco de secundarios, que nos son presentados al principio como si de una obra de teatro se tratara. Pues bien, ésto no es una melodrama, pero sí que habrá un crimen, un crimen que nuestro buen protagonista como adjunto de la policía que es, no puede si no investigar.
Conocíamos a Royden Napier de las anteriores entregas de ésta serie. Confieso que desde que apareció en el primer libro tuve muchísimas ganas de su historia, y no me ha decepcionado para nada. Sí, es un hombre frío, un hombre duro, de ésos que piensas que no son capaces de amar, pero Royden sí lo hace y muy profundamente.
En cuanto a Lisette, también la conocimos en los anteriores libros, pero no por quien era, o por quien creíamos que era. El final del tercer libro me dejó muy perpleja en lo concerniente a éste personaje, pero desde los primeros capítulos fui hilvanando su historia, y poco a poco se sabe el por qué hizo lo que hizo, pues en el fondo Lisette es una superviviente.
Ambos protagonistas se conocieron de un modo peculiar, antes de lo que pensamos. Y tras el final del tercer libro ambos vuelven a encontrarse, ella acusada de un crimen y a punto de huir de la justicia, y él sospechando de lo que ha hecho. El gran secreto de Royden, como pudimos conocer poco a poco en los anteriores libros, es que está emparentado con una familia noble, sí, es el heredero de un vizconde, su padre abnegó de su herencia cuando conoció a una mujer de la que se enamoró, y se casó con ella. El tío de Royden ha muerto (en extrañas circunstancias), y éste se convierte en el heredero de su abuelo. Debido a la extraña muerte del anterior heredero, Royden decide viajar a la finca familiar para averiguar lo que ocurrió, pero su anciana tía quiere endilgarle a su dama de compañía para que sea su baronesa, así que a Royden se le ocurre llevar a una prometida para alejar a las mujeres casaderas. De ésta manera Royden soborna a Lisette, la detendrá si se niega, pero si va con él tendrá una oportunidad de escapar de la justicia. Éste viaje a la finca familiar hará las delicias de lo que siempre digo: el roce hace el cariño, y poco a poco nuestros protagonistas se irán enamorando.
La lástima de la historia es que, como viene siendo habitual en Liz Carlyle, el romance pasa a un plano secundario, y tiene más peso en la historia lo que debería ser secundario, que en éste caso es el crimen que hubo en la casa, primero referente al heredero, y después el del cuñado del vizconde. Por supuesto en éste tipo de casos lo normal es sospechar de los familiares cercanos, así que Napier deberá sospechar de una anciana tía, un primo libertino, dos primas, una institutriz, una dama de compañía... sí, un elenco interesante, pero ¿Quién será el culpable y por qué? Creo que la autora ha sabido mantener la intriga hasta el final del libro, y lo aplaudo, es lo que me ha tenido enganchada a sus páginas.
En todo caso, otro punto en contra que podría ponerle al libro, es que a pesar de su interesante historia, es excesivamente largo, sí, es un libro muy largo, y he tenido unos días muy ocupados para leer (mea culpa, cierto), pero cuando un libro me dura más de la cuenta no lo disfruto igual. Aún así el libro ha sido muy satisfactorio para cerrar la serie, aunque más bien creo que no debería pertenecer a la Sociedad de St.James, pues no sale absolutamente nada de la sociedad ni de los poderes de sus miembros, si la han incluido en la serie es porque los personajes eran secundarios allegados de los anteriores libros. Mass Market Paperback Somehow, I'd never read Liz Carlyle before now. This was a grave mistake that I intend to keep on rectifying!
What I Loved:
Absolutely gorgeous, insight-laden prose and sharp dialogue. I was very pleasantly surprised by just how good a writer Carlyle is---certainly not a given in this particular genre! :) That alone compelled me and my greedy Kindle to buy a bunch of her other novels.
This is a great choice for those of us who sometimes crave a large dollop of mystery with our romance. And, unlike most books that aspire to give us both mystery and romance and end up succeeding at neither, the mystery is actually fairly compelling.
The hero and heroine, while not personal all-time favorites of mine, were vivid and well drawn.
What I Didn't Love:
As others have noted, parts of the book feel a little crowded, with a few too many characters and a bit too much going on. I wouldn't say it's too convoluted to follow, but I did have a couple more of those 'wait, who's that and what the heck is his deal again...?!' moments than is typical of me.
At 416 pages, the book was a little overlong---and those pages contained a little too much tiresomely detailed, explicit sex for my personal, admittedly odd less is more! taste :) Those who love steamy sex scenes will almost certainly enjoy those parts of the book more than I did.
Overall, the aspects of the book that I loved definitely outweighed the ones that I didn't, and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author!
Mass Market Paperback This is the fourth book in a series of which I have not (yet) read the other three. Usually when I pick up a book mid-series, I can say confidently that I don’t think it’s necessary to have read the others, but with this one, I felt at a slight disadvantage, and I’m not quite sure why that was. There’s a fairly large cast of recurring and supporting characters, all of whom are introduced in a helpful foreword by the author – but in the early stages, I had to keep referring back to the list to check who was who, which did interrupt the flow of reading. But after a chapter or so, I had it worked out and I got sucked into the story.
The story opens in 1847 in the office of Assistant Commissioner of Police, Royden Napier. A young woman, Elizabeth Colbourne, bursts into his office demanding the re-arrest and conviction for murder of Rance Welham, future Lord Lazonby (whose story is told in the previous book). She holds Welham responsible for the death of her father and her sister’s fiancé, for a life lived in penury in the charge of uncaring relatives, and for causing the death of her sister. She wants to see him hang for his crimes. Napier is struck by the depth of her hatred and her intensity, but can do nothing for her – Welham has been exonerated, due process has been followed, and that’s an end of it.
We then jump ahead two years, and to the scene of the murder of Sir Wilfred Leeton, an old crony of Rance Welham’s. Now Lord Lazonby, Welham has sent for Napier, knowing that he’s the only man who can clear Welham’s name of suspicion once and for all. In order to secure Napier’s cooperation, Welham tells him that before he was killed, the late Sir Wilfred had made accusations of corruption against his father, who had held the position of Assistant Commissioner before him.
At this point, I was expecting the rest of the story to concentrate on the search for the truth about Napier’s father and the quest to prove Lazonby’s innocence. But shortly after this, it took a swift turn into different territory, which I think was very much a turn for the better. Instead of being an adventure romp, the book is more by way of an Agatha Christie-type country house mystery which features a sizable cast of characters, all with grudges to bear and secrets to hide.
Napier is, in fact, the heir to the viscountcy of Duncaster. He never expected to be such; his late father was the third son, estranged from his father, and Napier has been more than content to make his own way in the world. But following the deaths of both his uncles, he is now Lord Saint-Bryce and his grandfather’s heir. At first, he wants none of it. He has had very little to do with his family and wants to keep it that way. He’s risen through the ranks on his own merits and followed in his father’s footsteps to become Assistant Commissioner, and he is committed to a life of service to the Crown. But at the request of his superior, Sir George Grey – an old friend of Viscount Duncaster – Napier travels to Wiltshire to meet with his grandfather and quietly investigate the circumstances surrounding the recent deaths in the family.
Sir George also warns Napier of the match-making schemes of his great aunt Cordelia, Lady Hepplewood, suggesting that it might be prudent for Napier to take along his ‘fiancée’ in order to keep her at bay. Napier realizes that while it not be an ideal situation, it will make his appearance seem more like a visit than an investigation –and he also realizes that if he takes the right woman with him, she could prove helpful.
His choices however, are limited. He ends up taking someone he wouldn’t have chosen in a million years: Elizabeth (Lisette) Colborne. She is a key witness (and more, Napier suspects) in the murder of Sir Wilfred, and is on the point of leaving the country, but Napier, certain that she knows more than she lets on, offers her a deal. If she accompanies him to Wiltshire for a couple of weeks, he will let her leave the country.
Napier’s visit is well-received by his grandfather, who is under the impression that he has come to his senses at last and is there to start to learn how to manage the estate. He quickly attempts to dispel that notion, adamant that once he has uncovered the truth about his uncles’ deaths, he will return to his job and his life in London. He and Lisette are plunged into a family enmeshed in petty squabbles and not-so-petty resentments, and despite his initial misgivings about taking her along, Napier is forced to admire the subtlety with which she stands up to his great-aunt, and the ease with which she gains the confidence of the other women of the house. It is Lisette who gives Napier something to think about when she points out that the skills he has honed over his years in government service have, in fact, well-equipped him for the task of running a large estate, and that in doing so, he would still be serving his country — albeit in a different way.
Lisette is an engaging and slightly unusual heroine. In her late 20s, she’s had far from an easy life, losing her parents at a young age and then being farmed out to relatives in America who both used and neglected her. She had to grow up very quickly and take responsibility for herself , her aunt, and sot of an uncle who she learned later had been paid to take both her and her sister (who has since died) away from England after the death of her parents.
She’s prickly, she’s tough, and she’s clever. Clever enough to admit to herself that spending most of her life hating and seeking revenge upon the man she holds responsible for her family’s tragedies has left her almost soulless and empty and to wonder if she’s capable of any finer feelings. And clever enough to realize that it’s time for her to start living her own life and put the past behind her before it’s too late.
Napier has a reputation for coldness, ruthlessness, and incorruptibility. He could have been a bit of a dry stick, but at the heart of his story is the way he comes to the realization that not every situation can be seen in black and white and to acknowledge that sometimes a bad thing can be the right thing in certain circumstances. He falls hard for Lisette, even as he is constantly questioning her part in Leeton’s murder, and it’s only when he admits to both himself and her that he no longer cares about her involvement that she can finally trust him enough to tell him the truth. With regard to the accusations against his father, Napier at last admits to himself that he had probably known for some time that all was not quite above board – but there is no proof. The man he was at the beginning of the book would likely have been completely broken by the discovery that the father he idolized had feet of clay; but the man he has become by the end of it is able to accept – albeit not to condone – his father’s duplicity.
The relationship between Napier and Lisette is antagonistic, tender and passionate. They are immediately and devastatingly attracted to each other even while recognizing that a relationship between them could be dangerous and stupid. They get under each other’s skins and into each other’s heads in a way neither has before experienced, which both entices and scares the hell out of them. The sexual tension between them is like a ticking time-bomb and fairly leaps off the page, and there is a great deal of humor in their frequent bickering.
The supporting cast is clearly delineated, from the gruff patriarch to the eccentric aunt, the downtrodden companion, the dictatorial aunt, and the youngest cousin Beatrice who is just twelve and worried for her future.
I found A Bride by Moonlight to be an entertaining page-turner that quickly caught my interest and – apart from a few things that confused me at the beginning –sustained it right until the end. Mass Market Paperback
Passion and secrets simmer behind the elegant façade of Victorian London in another deliciously intriguing novel featuring the dangerous men of the mysterious St. James Society.
Royden Napier, Baron Saint-Bryce, is tall, dark, and ruthless—and on the hunt for a dangerous beauty . . .
On the eve of her escape to the Continent, bold, beautiful Lisette Colburne accepts a proposal she dare not refuse: masquerade as the future bride of the steely-eyed Royden Napier and help him solve his most dangerous case. Soon Lisette is in even greater danger—of losing her heart to the one man with the power to destroy her . . .
Estranged from his aristocratic family, the enigmatic Napier has forged a reputation as Scotland Yard's most relentless police commissioner. He's vowed to bring Lisette to justice—but with every forbidden kiss and every tantalizing touch, he finds himself becoming less convinced of her guilt . . . and more certain he must have her. But when danger touches Lisette, can he save her? A Bride by Moonlight (Fraternitas Aureae Crucis, #4)
For this special review (my 500th!), I'm glad this book won the price and not another bad bet. I must however confess that some books are so awfully bad that they are remembered very long after their reading up to forever while some good ones with nothing special are rather quickly forgotten, at least by me. Let's stop there for the digression, nobody can really be sure whether those are still allowed and that would be the height of absurdity if this 500th review were the one to be deleted;(
From the first page, this book had a different tone from the usual romance. The characters, both male and female, were unusual - the hero extremely stiff, stickler to the law, having totally forgotten to live, and the heroine on the other hand oozing a very deep despair and loss of humanity in favor of achieving her vengeance. I was really puzzled by their first interactions which manage to reflect perfectly their own uncertainties and insecurities when confronted with the other. And it took time to get them settled into the beginning of a relationship, while still pursuing their second maybe-murder investigation.
The characters of the remainder of the family were rather well depicted as well, very chilling for most of them.
There are many surprises to come regarding both investigations, the first one on which Napier found himself again facing Lisette, and the second on which he had procured her help on his family members. And for once, the surprises were rather good ones, with something very distinctive about them.
Last but not least, the writing was extremely high, which I remarked and enjoyed until the last sentence, and it seemed even better than Liz Carlyle's usual or that of her books I had previously read. There are not many writers that can claim such a perfect way of playing with words and making them work. Mass Market Paperback A Bride by Moonlight by Liz Carlyle is the fourth in the Fraternitas Aureae Crucis series. This book is scheduled for release in February 2013.
Lisette has had a troubled life. She has had many responsibilities placed on her . She has also tossed away her own happiness in search of justice for her father's death.
Royden Napier is a policeman with Scotland yard. He is also a reluctant heir to a vast estate . When two members of his family die closely together, apparently of natural causes, Napier will have to step into his role on the estate. But, an anonymous letter hints that the deaths may not have been natural.
In order to investigate unimpeded, Royden brings Lissette along to distract his matchmaking Aunt.
Napier and Lisette have a little bit of a history with each other. Napier knows Lissette could be a very dangerous lady, and she also might need his protection.
So, with nothing to lose , Lisette agrees to pretend to be Napier' s fiancee. But , she will also prove quite valuable in the investigation, when she's not too busy driving Napier crazy with desire, that is.
I enjoyed this story very much. Lisette and Napier both harbor secrets and regrets that threatens to keep them from long term happiness.
Both characters struggle mightily with their principles and conscience and try to make the right choices for their future and each other.
Meanwhile, Napier is puzzled by his cousins and other family members and staff. He begins to think that maybe he's been sent on a wild goose chase when no evidence appears to suggest any foul play. But, with Lissette helping gather information, a terrible tragedy with far reaching consequences comes to light.
Part mystery , part romance. This story deals with obsession, forgiveness, unconditional love, and finding peace. Love conquerors all in the end.
My complaint with this one is that the language was far stronger than I'm used to with historical romances. Also, a theme in 2013 releases seems to be more experimental sexual situations that seem more fitting in current day settings . I'm afraid we are losing all authenticity in historical romances . There's nothing wrong with thinking outside the box and trying to freshen up historical romances, but I hope it doesn't get out of hand.
Otherwise, the plot was original. I loved the mystery and family drama and scandals, and of course the HEA
overall a B.
Thanks Edelweiss for the advance copy. Mass Market Paperback Me gustó más Nunca te enamores de un canalla. Quizá este tenga una trama más interesante o compleja, con un mayor número de personajes secundarios... pero es excesivamente largo. A veces resulta pesado y en muchas menos páginas se hubiese podido contar lo mismo y mejor. Una pena, porque la pluma de la autora me gusta.
*Reseña ya en el blog: http://mymagic-books.blogspot.com.es/... Mass Market Paperback Courtesy of Avon through Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review.
Royden Napier is tall, dark, dangerous and ruthless – just the kind of man Lisette Colburne should stray away from. Caught in a web of lies and a potentially dangerous situation that can ruin her life, Lisette has no choice but to accept a fake proposal she cannot dare to refuse.
When something in his family goes amidst, Royden Napier must travel with his fake fiancee to his family home and solve the murder. But he will need the help of Lisette in order to keep his aunt from pushing an engagement he does not want to take a part of.
A Bride by Moonlight was a wonderful story. It had mystery, lots of tension and well rounded characters. It made me feel like I was reading an exciting mystery novel, so involved into finding out who was the murdered that twice I have guessed wrong. The characters were well written and thoroughly thought out. I enjoyed the interactions, the story line, and Liz Carlyle's writing was very intricate. Carlyle's spin on story telling, knew how to capture my attention until the very thought of putting the book down became unthinkable.
I love Lisette and what she stood for. A broken woman who lead a hard life growing up, Lisette came out the most human out of this book. She suffers from the mistakes she has made and managed to build a brick wall around her heart. What Lisette did not expect was for Royden to come knocking it down. Letting down her walls wasn't easy, and that was the part that made this book so emotionally investing. You cannot help but feel the pain that Lisette has gone through, and her fear of letting the one man that can ruin her into her life. Letting Royden in, means spilling secrets that he had come so eager to know, secrets that can break her apart.
Royden Napier was a ruthless cop who is also hard not to like. Becoming emotionally attached to Lisette couldn't have been easy but I loved the tension and attraction between them. Scenes from their steamy and emotional runs ins had imprisoned my heart and made a permanent impact. Seeing the way these characters grew throughout the book and opened up to let love into their lives was very heart warming.
Plus, the lively estate of characters that appear throughout the book all have their issues and keep you flipping the pages and wondering until the very end.
Though this is sadly my first book ny Liz Carlyle, I will be adding A Bride By Moonlight to my bookshelves <3 the cover is just simply lovely! Mass Market Paperback 4.5 Stars for me. I can always depend on Liz Carlyle to deliver a solid entertaining read and of course that is what she has done. We have known Napier Royden from the very first book and found him to be dark and intriguing. He is no different in his own book. He has always come off as a bit of a stiff character, but as the Chief Detective he needs to be. But we always knew that the right woman would set those deep currents of his flowing. Of course that is exactly what titan haired Lisette Colburn does for Napier. When he is called once again to a murder scene where that rascally Rance Welhelm is again involved, but this time Lisette is also on scene and claiming that her brother Jack Coldwater is the one that did the dirty deed. (You at least need to read The Bride Wore Pearls, because this book picks up at the very end of that book and overlaps a little.) But if you have read the entire series then you know what kind of dealings Rance and Jack had with one another.
Royden knows that he can't trust Lisette at all, but he is having a hard time convincing his heart and other areas of his body that she is off limits. I loved how sentimental Royden turned out the be. Added a bit of unexpected sweetness to a overall serious book. Those that don't like the woo-woo-kachoo in their romances will be happy to know that this book doesn't have that. Strictly straight romance. Wonderful read, wonderful series and I can't wait for the next book in the series, Mr. Quartermain's from what I understand. (who doesn't love a sexy blond in glasses?) Mass Market Paperback