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A review by ccgwalt
Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell
2.0
2.5*
I was undecided about how to rate this book and almost gave it three stars despite the rape scene, which usually means a DNF for me. Why did it sort of work for me? Honestly, I'm not entirely sure.
Claiming the Courtesan has a very gothic feel to it, but with slightly more sympathetic characters than in many gothic novels. I can see why the book is said to be a "new" old skool (70's- 80's style) bodice ripper romance. It fits much better with the few bodice rippers I've read than most "modern" historical romances.
While I still hate the whole rape/forced seduction thing, it plays out a little better here because of Kylemore's own emotional problems and his grief and sorrow over his actions later in the book. It doesn't make it all right, but it makes it more believable for the time period. What irritated me almost as much was Verity's determination to walk away from Kylemore without telling him the real reason.
One more thing I didn't care for in the book was how on the second and third times Kylemore decides to have his way with Verity, she gets caught up in the passion despite her supposed hatred of the man. I don't like when authors make "No" mean "Yes." I simply don't believe that a woman who hates a man or is scared of him will suddenly get passionate just because of "good chemistry." Blech!
But if the whole forced sex issue was off the table, I could enjoy this somewhat melodramatic and overwritten book for exactly what it was. Plus I wanted to know what happened, dang it!
I was undecided about how to rate this book and almost gave it three stars despite the rape scene, which usually means a DNF for me. Why did it sort of work for me? Honestly, I'm not entirely sure.
Claiming the Courtesan has a very gothic feel to it, but with slightly more sympathetic characters than in many gothic novels. I can see why the book is said to be a "new" old skool (70's- 80's style) bodice ripper romance. It fits much better with the few bodice rippers I've read than most "modern" historical romances.
While I still hate the whole rape/forced seduction thing, it plays out a little better here because of Kylemore's own emotional problems and his grief and sorrow over his actions later in the book. It doesn't make it all right, but it makes it more believable for the time period. What irritated me almost as much was Verity's determination to walk away from Kylemore without telling him the real reason.
One more thing I didn't care for in the book was how on the second and third times Kylemore decides to have his way with Verity, she gets caught up in the passion despite her supposed hatred of the man. I don't like when authors make "No" mean "Yes." I simply don't believe that a woman who hates a man or is scared of him will suddenly get passionate just because of "good chemistry." Blech!
But if the whole forced sex issue was off the table, I could enjoy this somewhat melodramatic and overwritten book for exactly what it was. Plus I wanted to know what happened, dang it!