Lady Isabella St. Just is shocked to learn the identity of the daring champion who comes to her aid -- for the man who rescues her from desperate felons is none other than Alec Tyron, the notorious king of London's underworld. Now she is beholden to an outlaw who is respected and feared throughout the city and stunned by her own intense desire for this dark man of mystery. Fate has united these strangers from opposite lives -- the beautiful aristocrat and the brazen criminal outlaw. And now that the flame has been lit, no power on Earth will quench the fire of their passion...or destroy a love that society cannot allow.
Karen Robards is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than fifty books and one novella. She has won multiple awards including six Affaire de Coeur Silver Pen Awards for favorite author. Karen has been writing since she was very young, and was first published nationally in the December 1973 Reader's Digest. She sold her first romance novel, ISLAND FLAME, when she was 24. It was published by Leisure Books in 1981 and is still in print. After that, she dropped out of law school to pursue her writing career. Karen was recently described by The Daily Mail as "one of the most reliable thriller....writers in the world."
4,5/5 Me ha encantado, no he podido parar de leer hasta que lo he terminado No me ha aburrido en ningún momento, tiene un buen ritmo que no decae. Alec es un oso de peluche, jajaja, aunque vaya de duro sinvergüenza e Isabella le complementa a las mil maravillas. El mejor de la autora por el momento.
2 Estrellitas que para mí han significado un quiero y no puedo. La novela no está mal del todo, y a lo mejor no estoy siendo justa, si lo hubiese leído hace diez años seguro que me habría gustado más, pero es una novela que ha envejecido mal.
Ésta ha sido mi elección de mayo para el Reto Rita 4. Es la primera novela que leo de Karen Robards, y quizás porque es una de sus novelas más conocidas esperaba mucho y no me ha dicho nada.
De nuevo tenemos de telón de fondo la Inglaterra de Regencia, pero lejos de los salones londinenses a los que estamos acostumbrados. Éste libro transcurre en parte en el Londres más sórdido y con una historia más truculenta de lo que podríamos esperar.
La protagonista Isabella es la insulsa y apocada hija de un duque y casada con un conde que podría ser su padre y que no muestra un ápice de interés en ella. Su esposo la ha hecho llamar a Londres y es su primer viaje fuera de casa, por eso es sorprendente que pocas horas antes de llegar a Londres es secuestrada para pedir un rescate por ella.
Los secuestradores de Isabella son rivales de la banda de nuestro protagonista, Alec Tryon, llamado El Tigre y rey de hampa en Londres. Por eso, cuando Isabella consigue escapar se ve envuelta en una riña entre dos bandas rivales que acaba con ella y Alec heridos y llevados a Londres.
Será en un burdel de Londres donde nuestros protagonistas se irán conociendo y descubriendo los secretos más oscuros del otro. ¿Qué historia hay tras el secuestro de Isabella? ¿Era para pedir un rescate o alguien la quería mierta?
Si bien la historia no es del todo mala, ésta se me ha hecho algo tediosa y pesada, no he conseguido creérmela mucho y ha podido ser por sus protagonistas, ambos no me han dicho nada, y por supuesto esperaba mucho del Tigre, pero es un personaje que no me he creído, demasiado perfecto para ser el rey del hampa; y parece mentira todo lo que puede hacer con la cantidad de palizas y balazos que lleva. No, para mi demasiado inverosímil.
Repito, podría haber estado mejor, pero eso fue en el momento en que se publicó o si hubiese sido una de mis primeras novelas como lectora de romántica, pero ha quedado viejuna y sin chispa.
The copy I have, I noticed was published in 1989. This is the first book that I've read by this author. I wish I had a frame of reference to either other books published at this time or other books by this author to give a better rating. I mostly read recently published works so this rating might not be the best, but how I feel this book worked for me. Now onto the book.
**********MAY BE SPOILERS BELOW. READ AT YOUR WILL********
The beginning was great. The setting was unique. Intriguing, a real page turner all the way up til Alec(hero) and Isabella(heroine) leave for Amberwood estate.
Then when they leave it seems to morph characters. Isabella was described as sensible, docile, and gentle, with a good head on her shoulders- as soon as Alec would kiss her she became a puppet. You got the feeling that as long as Alec was kissing her she would have agreed to anything, even murder. For bringing up adultery quite often she sure didn't seem to feel any shame, disgrace, or guilt. For Alec, he's supposed to be the king of London's underworld that clawed his way to the top, but he sure takes dumb risks. Like drinking what Isabella gave him without asking what it was or not locking his door with 3 attempts on his life.
On a similar note, Alec's situation between Pearl and Isabella-I wanted more to be done and said about it. Miss Robards at least wanted Isabella to think he had slept with Pearl, then her. Then again at the end, implying he would have slept with Dahlia. I got the feeling should their relationship wane in the future, Alec would not think twice about sleeping with someone else. Just something else I thought I should mention.
The last half of the book just left you shaking your head. Alec told Isabella he believed her husband was the one to try to have her killed, she thinks a couple months and money are enough to keep her safe and for her to think "it had grown increasingly more difficult for her to remember that Bernard had really, truly tried to have her killed.". So even her lover's belief isn't strong enough against Bernard's gentlemanly behavior to convince her. Did she think Bernard would give her a sign the next time he tried to kill her? How long did Isabella believe Alec and her could live without a problem in their love nest?
I, also, felt the book ended too soon. I wanted to know where they would live, the Blakely townhouse or a slum? What about there children- reared street wise or to become members of the ton? Would Alec continue his "job" as king of the underworld?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
What a deliciously fun romp! I had no idea what to expect when I started this book, in fact I have no idea still why I added it to my TBR pile since it was so long ago that I did.
The story opens with Lady Isabella being kidnapped and later victim of a murder attempt at the orders of her husband.
Isabella is a sort of innocent and naïve heroine, one of those girls who are usually very annoying but that here I think worked rather well. She and Alex are soon attracted to each other, besides her being beautiful and intelligent Alex is also attracted to the fact that she is a member of polite society and he has been trying to better himself.
Isabella doesn’t really believe her husband is behind the attempt on her life but while Alex is recuperating, she can’t leave as his enemies are probably surveilling the house they’re in and that could endanger Alex.
Mind you, that is an old-fashioned romance and very un-pc (can't you just tell by the cheesy cover?). Alex has a mistress while all this tension and attraction to Isabella happens and if you don’t like adultery in your reads this is probably not the book for you.
Isabella and Alex eventually leave London for his country house where she proceeds to teach him in the ways of the polite society. She is then found out by her husband and goes back to him leaving Alex heartbroken. After a few twists and turns, he tries again to kill her and Alex saves her but now it’s her turn to woo him. That final scene where she goes back to him was hilarious and I couldn’t help laughing aloud imagining them.
Pues le tengo que volver a dar 4* porque me ha gustado tanto como la primera vez. Lecturas que merecen la pena muchísimo y que sobre todo entretienen un montón ... además romanticona, romanticona jejeje.
Genial. Todo, los personajes, las descripciones, la trama. Como se desarrolla la historia y como evolucionan cada uno de los personajes. Me ha encantado todo.
Love Karen Robards! This was a good solid 4 star book! Lots of action and a really good story she did a great job of developing the relationship between these two very different people. If you are a Robards fan like I am I highly recommend it. Island Flame and Forbidden Love are my two favorites, this one was really good and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Now onto The Dark of the Moon!
Re-read- on my keeper shelf but I remembered nothing.
Alex, the MMC, (and the book itself) is like the ancestor of Hoyt's river pirate and Kleypas Derek Craven. He's immoral and up to no good, self made and rolling in paper money.
So the gutter rat with no parents grew up in the mean streets of London, and rose through its muck to become the lord of the underground. He's also beautiful and has no conscience which is obviously the reason why this book sits on my keeper shelf. The FMC Isabella is an unhappily married countess with an absent and disinterested husband who finds herself kidnapped. Turns out the husband is not only neglectful but also a murdering a-hole who is trying to unalive his wife so he can remarry another heiress. When Alec inadvertently rescues Isabella from the kidnappers and is injured along with her, they have to convalesce together which means close proximity and a bad case of the hornies. Add another murderous bastard after Alec and a jealous ex-mistress and you have a drama-filled adventurous romp with a proper lady and a gorgeous rogue.
I'll still keep this one on my shelf even though I think adult me enjoyed less than teen me did. I loved the premise and the characters but I wanted more showing of Alex being a bad man and less telling of it. He's delightful though and their angry banter is really good at times. The pacing is off because of all the telling and some things get resolved in a paragraph and some don't get resolved at all. That being said Alec is a great baby anti-hero and their relationship was developed to my satisfaction. Also, no prologue and that's a big fat no go for me 🙄
🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 🔥/5
Tropes Close proximity Antihero Captive Class difference
CW:domestic violence, adultery
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Me lo he pasado pipa leyendo esta historia, una trama sencilla pero con mucha acción desde las primeras página. Un bribón con buen corazón tipo Derek Graven ( con eso ya me tenía ganada) por protagonista y una damita aparentemente insulsa pero con mucho carácter y recursos. Mucha chispa y encontronazos dialécticos entre ellos. Además de estar muy bien escrito,
You know the drill, "upper-class woman falls for the wrong man." Except, in this case her husband is trying to kill her. Awesome! Of course he teaches her what true love (in all of its glorious physicality) really is.
She could refuse him, and he would stop. He had said he did not force unwilling women, and she believed him. But she was not unwilling. And he was not Bernard. (dun-dun DUNNNNNN)
La historia es preciosa, sus protagonistas distintos y decididos. En algún momento del libro me ha parecido que sobraban algunos detalles, pero luego al finalizar con su lectura la sensación que me ha dejado es de gusto, una lectura muy entretenida, un buen relato, bastante suspenso y una historia de amor que te hace suspirar la mayor parte del libro.
2.25⭐️How a book can do so much, yet still be lacking is beyond me. Something about Alec’s,the mmc, character and banter fell flat. The Alec-Pearl-Paddy subplot was more interesting to me than the main plot.
The last two chapters were 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 redeeming, albeit out of my comfort zone. This is my second Karen Robards read and it is safe to say that I am NOT a fan.
Karen Robards tiene novelas que he amado, pero esta desde luego no es una de ellas. Y el gran problema es su protagonista Isabella. Una adultera, que se las da de dama sensata y respetable, y al héroe no le lleva mucho tiempo tenerla en su cama. Se la pasa justificando que si mantenía relaciones conyugales con el marido, es porque él estaba en su derecho... dando a entender que por cumplir las reglas y hacer lo que se supone haría una dama casada, está dispuesta a... sacrificarse. Ese discurso queda como chiste y bastante hipócrita, cuando no siente vergüenza alguna ni culpa por estarse acostando con otro que no es su marido. Y me da igual si es el héroe el amante. O si al final el marido es el malo malísimo. Pero eso no lo sabe cuando sucede. El héroe, para tener experiencia de la vida, nada más romántico que comenzar una relación con alguien que engaña con él a su pareja. Sí, señor.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was my favorite type of typical historical romance. 'Innocent' heroine is seduced and falls for the very male Hero after some dire circumstances throw them together. It was well written and the love scenes were appropriately steamy. I enjoyed the hell out of it and was reminded of a simpler time in my book tastes when historical romance was all I read.
Como decía por ahí otra reseña: He amado libros de esta autora, pero este, en concreto, no es uno de ellos. Y coincido plenamente también, en que el problema es ella, Isabella. Y es que no hay manera alguna de que pueda pensar en ella como alguien seria, respetable y de principios sólidos, si a la primera oportunidad, se lanza al adulterio con el héroe. Independientemente de si su esposo es el villano o no al final, falta a sus votos mucho antes de que esto se aclare. Lo cual, suena luego muy cínico por su parte el leerla justificándose y vuelta a justificarse, hablando de que soportaba la intimidad con el marido porque estaba en "su derecho conyugal" y ella acataba las normas y deberes que se esperaban de una buena esposa de la época... pero esas normas y deberes parecieron esfumarse nada más conocer a un extraño. Entonces, yo me preguntaba: por qué dejar sumisamente que un marido que la asquea la posea, con tal de hacer lo que se espera de una esposa, y no parecerle mal o sentir vergüenza alguna por engañar a su marido y faltar a sus votos... ¿Qué discurso falso vendía esta mujer, entonces? Porque me pareció contrario y muy hipócrita. Las normas y deberes, al parecer, eran solo cuando le interesaban. Ya la sinopsis es también como otro mal chiste. Las no-vírgenes que pintan como virginales y puras, simplemente por ser unas mal f***das, y el resto que P***tas que son. Sí, claro. Es que antes de la llegada del héroe lo que tenía entre las piernas era un pepino xD También estoy de acuerdo, con algunas, de que por mucho que el héroe fuera su amante, no sé que cimientos sólidos de confianza hay en una persona que comienza contigo engañando a otra, como para que su autora la venda como todo un dechado de virtudes y buenos principios. De verdad, creo que Karen Robards tenía un buen argumento y lo fastidió todo con una heroína con tanta doble moralidad. Una lástima.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Un romanzo idolatrato da più parti, che mi ha parecchio deluso. Prima di tutto il paragone con Sognando te della Kleypas e Derek Craven l'ho trovato irriverente e fuori luogo: la caratterizzazione di Derek, in tutte le sue sfaccettature, è profonda, graduale e coinvolgente; mentre Alec è un personaggio che mi ha dato la sensazione di essere quasi un incompiuto, non è del tutto approfondito come avrebbe meritato, pur risultando sexy e affascinante. La storia, pur ricca di avvenimenti, non decolla mai come ci si aspetterebbe, sia dal punto di vista emotivo, che sensuale. Lei è antipatica il più delle volte, e trovo che abbia un comportamento incoerente per quasi tutto il romanzo: all'inizio ritrosa e preoccupata dell'onore, però poi si avventura con Alec nella tenuta, e si stupisce delle sue avances, mentre alla fine, quando lui, smuovendo mari e monti, la ritrova a Parigi, lo manda via in malo modo... al posto di Alec, l'avrei lasciata marcire con il suo simpatico maritino! Oltretutto questa inquietante presenza del marito rimane aleatoria per quasi tutto il romanzo, come quella del padre, che si redime e comprende la figlia alla fine, all’improvviso: due personaggi caratterizzati male. Un romanzo, nonostante le premesse, che manca di sensualità e coerenza, e che si salva solo grazie alla maestria della Robards, che senza dubbio sa scrivere ed è in grado di costruire storie con uno stile mai banale, ma è troppo poco per raggiungere la sufficienza.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is a wonderful story, great story line, wonderful characters. Isabella and Alec, are meant for each other, although she's a lady and he's a ruffian, who rules London underworld, he will protect her with his own life. As they go in hiding from those who are trying to kill them their love cannot be denied. Thank you ♥️
Es un libro que ha envejecido mal. Se publicó por primera vez en 1989 y eso se nota. El personaje masculino es demasiado "perfecto" (por no tener, no tiene ni una sola cicatriz pese a ser el rey de los bajos fondos), y ella es un personaje de poco carácter.
I really enjoyed this one. The author’s pacing was very good and it a different plot with the hero having grown up on the streets and the heroine is a lady of the aristocracy . I do think an epilogue was needed.
Good story about two different classes of people in England.Great love story.Not for the reader who don’t like juicy physical side of couple..If you like mystery and romance.You like this book.
I don't like books where the heroine has to choose between her abusive husband and her lover but the final scene between the H/h almost made it worthwhile for me.