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ubi_sunt's review
3.0
This was my first romance novel. All others after it had the exact same plot, but this was the first, the original. It was given to me in class during middle school. I hid it lovingly.
tsukikomew's review
2.0
This review was posted at Tsuki’s Book Blog on June 3, 2013
I'm not much of an old-skool romance reader but occasionally I want to understand where the genre came from and how it evolved. On top of that I heard Sarah Wendell rave about it on one of the DBSA podcasts. Well let me say it turned me off of old skool for awhile and this is from the girl who loved "The Flame and the Flower"
Tatiana is a barmaid...an abused barmaid. She's tantalizingly beautiful but dresses herself as the old hag unless he has to 'dance'. Of course, she is secretly a princess who has no idea she is one. When Stefan (scarred) comes with his men to find the princess he is to marry they discover a woman who wants nothing to do with them. They kidnap her, lock her up, take away her freedom, and introduce her to Stefan's mistress all while expecting her to love the idea she's a princess. Crazy shenanigans abound as she fools them, escapes, and fights them every step of the way until love finds a way.
Okay, where to start? Let's start with the craziness surrounding Tatiana. Tatiana was beautiful. No scratch that. She was the epitome of beauty with silver hair, a perfect body, and a little birthmark on her ass. Sorry, but that was how it was. Ms. Lindsey could pretty it up as a crescent moon on the underside but it was her ass, so let's call it like it was. On top of that, she wanted her independence! Shock!
Oh and Stefan? Not endearing in the slightest. Seriously by about page forty I wanted her to kick him so hard, the very idea of sex was painful. There was nothing sexy, interesting or even remotely endearing about the man. He made horrible assumptions followed by horrible decisions, followed by incredibly irritating speeches. Frankly I hoped he drowned.
By the end of the book, the relationship made no sense. The love story was not there and there was no rationale for them ever wanting to spend a moment in the same room. Stefan did not understand Tatiana, nor did he bother to try. Tatiana didn't want the life chosen for her and made it painfully clear she was unhappy. I just couldn't wrap my mind around it at all.
I will not be re-visiting Johanna Lindsey anytime soon if this is what she offered to romance readers. I've been told by other readers how much her newer books have gone down hill. It saddens me when a classic romance author does absolutely nothing for me.
2 Stars
Published by Avon
June 1, 1991
432 Pages
Provided by--the Library
I'm not much of an old-skool romance reader but occasionally I want to understand where the genre came from and how it evolved. On top of that I heard Sarah Wendell rave about it on one of the DBSA podcasts. Well let me say it turned me off of old skool for awhile and this is from the girl who loved "The Flame and the Flower"
Tatiana is a barmaid...an abused barmaid. She's tantalizingly beautiful but dresses herself as the old hag unless he has to 'dance'. Of course, she is secretly a princess who has no idea she is one. When Stefan (scarred) comes with his men to find the princess he is to marry they discover a woman who wants nothing to do with them. They kidnap her, lock her up, take away her freedom, and introduce her to Stefan's mistress all while expecting her to love the idea she's a princess. Crazy shenanigans abound as she fools them, escapes, and fights them every step of the way until love finds a way.
Okay, where to start? Let's start with the craziness surrounding Tatiana. Tatiana was beautiful. No scratch that. She was the epitome of beauty with silver hair, a perfect body, and a little birthmark on her ass. Sorry, but that was how it was. Ms. Lindsey could pretty it up as a crescent moon on the underside but it was her ass, so let's call it like it was. On top of that, she wanted her independence! Shock!
Oh and Stefan? Not endearing in the slightest. Seriously by about page forty I wanted her to kick him so hard, the very idea of sex was painful. There was nothing sexy, interesting or even remotely endearing about the man. He made horrible assumptions followed by horrible decisions, followed by incredibly irritating speeches. Frankly I hoped he drowned.
By the end of the book, the relationship made no sense. The love story was not there and there was no rationale for them ever wanting to spend a moment in the same room. Stefan did not understand Tatiana, nor did he bother to try. Tatiana didn't want the life chosen for her and made it painfully clear she was unhappy. I just couldn't wrap my mind around it at all.
I will not be re-visiting Johanna Lindsey anytime soon if this is what she offered to romance readers. I've been told by other readers how much her newer books have gone down hill. It saddens me when a classic romance author does absolutely nothing for me.
2 Stars
Published by Avon
June 1, 1991
432 Pages
Provided by--the Library
lisabooksit's review
3.0
I liked how feisty the heroine is. I find myself having reread the book so it obviously stood out to me. I like the humor between the men and the heroes insecurity. Good read.
alisonb's review
3.0
Entertaining story with MC’s that feel younger than their actual age. I liked Tanya’s spunk and tactics around navigating Stephen and his cohorts. Stephen’s obsession with her virginal state and unorthodox reactions was kind of eye-rolling in its hilarity and ridiculousness. A fun story in all it’s bananas glory.
crystald14's review
3.0
The book was an overall fun read. It had a dash of romance, steamy scenes , drama and rescue. Tatiana/ Tanya is a joy to read. Many a times, I get irritated by the FL acting over the top and misunderstanding everything, but this is one of the few books where I loved her. She truly pulls the book together and I enjoyed reading.
Stefan, as a hero is a jerk. But I get where he is coming from. He is insecure and has been made to feel unworthy and I understand that he cannot expect a beautiful women to love him. But his anger is no excuse.
I love their slow gradual love, but am taking away two stars as I abhor the man getting too forceful when intoxicated and the woman accepting that. Also, spanking is such a no no and was a major turn off and I considered putting the book down.
Stefan is a miss, but a worthy read for Tatiana.
Stefan, as a hero is a jerk. But I get where he is coming from. He is insecure and has been made to feel unworthy and I understand that he cannot expect a beautiful women to love him. But his anger is no excuse.
I love their slow gradual love, but am taking away two stars as I abhor the man getting too forceful when intoxicated and the woman accepting that. Also, spanking is such a no no and was a major turn off and I considered putting the book down.
Stefan is a miss, but a worthy read for Tatiana.
ela_35's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I liked this book, but there were a lot of time jumps and the miscommunication was annoying at times.
I liked Stefan and Tanya’s interactions, for the most part, but their deceptions were very unlikeable in certain moments, and it made me question my enjoyment of the book.
I really liked how Tanya’s attitude towards Stefan’s scars was shown as it was clear that while it was a massive thing for everyone, she didn’t even notice/pay attention to them.
There were some side characters, but they weren’t shown much. I kind of liked Stefan’s friends, but they didn’t have much of a personality. I really didn’t like Alicia and how she was dealt with. Thankfully, there was no cheating, but I thought that there could have been firmer consequences for her manipulations and presence.
Most of this book was the characters travelling to Cardinia, and while I liked seeing Tanya come up with new ways to run away, I didn’t like the time jumps. I understood that the journey was long, but during those times Tanya’s interactions with Stefan’s friends could have been shown.
There was a threat at the end of the book, but it seemed like it was an afterthought.
I liked how different this book was to most historicals, but I wanted to see more of the characters’ daily lives in Cardinia.
I do want to try other books by this author, but I’m not going to read Vasili’s book as I didn’t like him and the plot doesn’t sound like something I’d like.
ivaorlic's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5