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The Mad Morelands #1
Mesmerized
The only way to fight a powerful darkness is with a powerful loveOlivia Moreland prides herself on discrediting charlatans, particularly the false mediums that flock to London. But when Lord Stephen St. Leger requests her help in investigating an alleged psychic’s claims, she can’t deny the ominous feeling she has within the walls of his ancient estate—or the intimately familiar connection she has with Stephen himself.The last time he’d called Blackhope Hall home, Stephen had watched as his elder brother claimed both the family title and the woman he loved. Now, in the wake of his brother’s murder, Stephen has reluctantly returned to find his family ensconced in scandal. Who is responsible for his brother’s untimely death? And what is it about investigator Olivia Moreland that so thoroughly draws him in, reigniting a passion he hasn’t felt in years?
Hardcover
First published October 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews
April 16, 2022
This book was first published in 2003 so I am just going to write about my thoughts on it. I have read one other Camp book and enjoy her writing style. This book captured my interest from the first chapter. The writing was engaging, and the characters are noted for being the Mad Morelands who are very forwarding thinking. The first part of the book deals with Charlatans who bilked people out of money by having seances. Olivia is a Dukes daughter and wants to bring frauds to light. The latter half of the book takes a mystical turn, and 2 stories are occurring, the fraud and the ghosts. I found it a fun read. It was not the direction I would have thought it would go but I enjoyed it and the story was tied up nicely.
August 16, 2019
3.5 stars!
Good start for this series! I enjoyed the writing and liked the characters. The plot of a possible ghostly encounter, debunking a charlatan and a good romance worked well. All things felt believable.
I will definitely continue with The Mad Morelands series!
Good start for this series! I enjoyed the writing and liked the characters. The plot of a possible ghostly encounter, debunking a charlatan and a good romance worked well. All things felt believable.
I will definitely continue with The Mad Morelands series!
March 17, 2023
I am surprised how much I liked this book. A lot of ghost talk but the mystery of it all was entertaining.
The only thing that was not to my liking was the fact that the heroine was way too free for the time period. But let's pretend that it was normal.
Highly recommend the audiobook version. Was entertained from the start!
The only thing that was not to my liking was the fact that the heroine was way too free for the time period. But let's pretend that it was normal.
Highly recommend the audiobook version. Was entertained from the start!
May 16, 2018
Series: The Mad Morelands #1
Publication Date: December 26th, 2017 by Harlequin Books (first published October 1st, 2003)
PHENOMENAL read!!! I have a feeling I am going to run out of superlatives before I am through reading this entire series. I read the sixth book in the series first – because I received a review copy. I was so in awe of the writing, the story and the Moreland family in that book that I just had to go back and read all of the first books. Boy am I glad I did. I can’t think of a better introduction to a series than this book! I also now have the rest of the books in my reading queue so I can get them read before the next one comes out.
Stephen St. Leger is the second son of an Earl. He never expects and certainly didn’t want to inherit the title – but he has and now he’ll have to do his best by it. He had lived in America – Colorado – for the last ten years and had made a fortune in silver mining, now he had to sell out and head back to England – something he didn’t think he’d ever do. He didn’t leave on the best of terms with his older brother and it was all over a calculating, cold, self-centered woman. Stephen met her and fell in love (at least he thought it was love) and then when he proudly introduced her to his family, she promptly went after his brother because he had the wealth and title. Stephen and Roderick had harsh, hurtful words and Stephen left for America.
Upon his return to England, he spends several months at their country estate – Blackhope – in order to familiarize himself with the running of the estate and its tenants. At the end of the season, he heads to London to pick up his mother, sister, and his brother's widow and return them home. What he finds when he arrives is chaos. His mother has been seeing a ‘medium’ and she is totally convinced that this woman can speak to the dead – specifically to Stephen’s dead brother. She invites this woman, her daughter and their ‘sponsor’ to come back to Blackhope with them. Before that happens, Stephen decides to attend a séance just to see how they work. While there, he grabs onto a woman who he is sure is an accomplice to the charlatan medium. His whole body jolts when his hand wraps around her wrist. They are thrown out of the séance and she is absolutely and completely furious with him – but gives him her card anyway.
Olivia Moreland is the daughter of a duke. Theirs is a very large, loving, and unconventional family. That unconventionality is what has earned them the epithet of ‘The Mad Morelands’. Olivia is incensed when one of the first things out of the mouth of the stranger who dared to grab her during the séance is a referral to her family as The Mad Morelands. She sets him in his place quite thoroughly, but she hands him one of her business cards. You see – she is an investigator whose mission is to expose all of those fake mediums who have invaded London in the last few years. They both leave and she never expects to see or hear from him again. Just imagine her shock when he turns up at her office the next day and asks to hire her.
She travels to Blackhope the following week and the strange events begin immediately. She has a vision upon arrival (all of the Morelands seem to have some special ability) and she is shocked. Nothing like that has ever happened to her before. The strange occurrences just continue and they keep you riveted – turning the pages as fast as you can read them. Is the villain a real live person or a ghost? Or – is it both?
I cannot recommend this book highly enough! It is an exciting page-turner – I couldn’t put it down once I started reading – and yes, that meant an all-nighter. I loved being introduced to the Moreland family and particularly liked Olivia’s Great-Uncle Bertrand as well as Stephen’s sister Belinda. I can’t wait to meet the rest of the Moreland clan in their own books!
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
Publication Date: December 26th, 2017 by Harlequin Books (first published October 1st, 2003)
PHENOMENAL read!!! I have a feeling I am going to run out of superlatives before I am through reading this entire series. I read the sixth book in the series first – because I received a review copy. I was so in awe of the writing, the story and the Moreland family in that book that I just had to go back and read all of the first books. Boy am I glad I did. I can’t think of a better introduction to a series than this book! I also now have the rest of the books in my reading queue so I can get them read before the next one comes out.
Stephen St. Leger is the second son of an Earl. He never expects and certainly didn’t want to inherit the title – but he has and now he’ll have to do his best by it. He had lived in America – Colorado – for the last ten years and had made a fortune in silver mining, now he had to sell out and head back to England – something he didn’t think he’d ever do. He didn’t leave on the best of terms with his older brother and it was all over a calculating, cold, self-centered woman. Stephen met her and fell in love (at least he thought it was love) and then when he proudly introduced her to his family, she promptly went after his brother because he had the wealth and title. Stephen and Roderick had harsh, hurtful words and Stephen left for America.
Upon his return to England, he spends several months at their country estate – Blackhope – in order to familiarize himself with the running of the estate and its tenants. At the end of the season, he heads to London to pick up his mother, sister, and his brother's widow and return them home. What he finds when he arrives is chaos. His mother has been seeing a ‘medium’ and she is totally convinced that this woman can speak to the dead – specifically to Stephen’s dead brother. She invites this woman, her daughter and their ‘sponsor’ to come back to Blackhope with them. Before that happens, Stephen decides to attend a séance just to see how they work. While there, he grabs onto a woman who he is sure is an accomplice to the charlatan medium. His whole body jolts when his hand wraps around her wrist. They are thrown out of the séance and she is absolutely and completely furious with him – but gives him her card anyway.
Olivia Moreland is the daughter of a duke. Theirs is a very large, loving, and unconventional family. That unconventionality is what has earned them the epithet of ‘The Mad Morelands’. Olivia is incensed when one of the first things out of the mouth of the stranger who dared to grab her during the séance is a referral to her family as The Mad Morelands. She sets him in his place quite thoroughly, but she hands him one of her business cards. You see – she is an investigator whose mission is to expose all of those fake mediums who have invaded London in the last few years. They both leave and she never expects to see or hear from him again. Just imagine her shock when he turns up at her office the next day and asks to hire her.
She travels to Blackhope the following week and the strange events begin immediately. She has a vision upon arrival (all of the Morelands seem to have some special ability) and she is shocked. Nothing like that has ever happened to her before. The strange occurrences just continue and they keep you riveted – turning the pages as fast as you can read them. Is the villain a real live person or a ghost? Or – is it both?
I cannot recommend this book highly enough! It is an exciting page-turner – I couldn’t put it down once I started reading – and yes, that meant an all-nighter. I loved being introduced to the Moreland family and particularly liked Olivia’s Great-Uncle Bertrand as well as Stephen’s sister Belinda. I can’t wait to meet the rest of the Moreland clan in their own books!
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
October 30, 2016
Απο τα πιο ωραία, στο είδος του, βιβλία που έχω διαβάσει... ρομάντζο (ευτυχώς καθόλου σαχλό) και φαντάσματα (πολλά απο δαύτα!)
4,5/5 αστεράκια
4,5/5 αστεράκια
August 17, 2010
Mesmerized is the story of a paranormal skeptic, Olivia Moreland, who has made it her mission to debunk fraudulent mediums and psychics but who finds herself faced with truly inexplicable phenomena.
The story was good, but I'm afraid it fell short of great or even very good. The biggest problem with all of the various subplots, I felt, was pacing. Most of the last half of the book dragged on as the characters rehashed the same ideas and conversations over and over again. "No, it couldn't be!" "But it is!" The romance subplot completely missed its moment so that by the time the two got together, I didn't care. And even after they'd gotten together, Olivia kept thinking nonsense about how Stephen didn't really love her that I'm afraid I couldn't even follow, let alone believe. There really wasn't anything, IMO, that kept these two apart -- a critical part of the formula that separates romance from situational coupling.
The story was good, but I'm afraid it fell short of great or even very good. The biggest problem with all of the various subplots, I felt, was pacing. Most of the last half of the book dragged on as the characters rehashed the same ideas and conversations over and over again. "No, it couldn't be!" "But it is!" The romance subplot completely missed its moment so that by the time the two got together, I didn't care. And even after they'd gotten together, Olivia kept thinking nonsense about how Stephen didn't really love her that I'm afraid I couldn't even follow, let alone believe. There really wasn't anything, IMO, that kept these two apart -- a critical part of the formula that separates romance from situational coupling.
December 7, 2025
Tolerable, I suppose
Let me start by saying: I hate paranormal HRs (take that into consideration when you read the review/see rating). I avoid them like the plague because there's too much suspension of disbelief necessary. HR is already bordering on fantasy, add pnr to it? Nah, too much.
Mesmerized is a pnr HR.
It's also on the audible plus catalogue and I was out of credits, so... I gave it a shot.
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Let me start by saying: I hate paranormal HRs (take that into consideration when you read the review/see rating). I avoid them like the plague because there's too much suspension of disbelief necessary. HR is already bordering on fantasy, add pnr to it? Nah, too much.
Mesmerized is a pnr HR.
It's also on the audible plus catalogue and I was out of credits, so... I gave it a shot.
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・
・
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
January 29, 2024
It’s giving Teresa Medeiros
July 27, 2020
I really was excited about this book for the first 100 pages. Mesmerized was going places! It seemed to be a unique Victorian Romance about a paranormal skeptic out to prove that a "Russian psychic" is a phony. There was a bit of mystery and the tone was suitably dark and serious. Candace Camp's writing...wasn't stellar, but I was so excited I let it slide. I felt like I'd discovered the historical romance equivalent of Nancy Drew, and I was really excited.
But then...eh. There was too much going on. Black Magic! Warlocks! Long-lost secret ancestors! Cursed Norman treasure! Spiritual possessions! Maniacal ex-loves!
What the hell, Mesmerized? You're only one book, try to slow it down. Save some tropes for the other romances, you know?
Like I said, though: the book starts of promisingly. Olivia Moreland is an independent-minded lady (slightly anachronistic, but whatevs) who runs a side business in exposing fraudulent psychics in Victorian London. She meets Stephen, an earl, and he hires her to expose this Russian lady who's latched onto his mother. There's a house party (of sorts) at Stephen's ancestral estate, Blackhope.
Then things get super effing weird.
Olivia and Stephen have shared dreams about 12th century lovers? The psychic seems to not be so fake after all? There's a super secret treasure that seems to be the root of it all? Stephen's former lover is a scheming villainess? And somehow, amidst all this nonsense, I'm supposed to believe that there's "true love" in the air?
No, Candace. Just no. You have bitten off way more than you can chew with this one.
I really, honestly, did not pick up Mesmerized with the expectation that it would feature actual ghosts. I thought it was all fake! (So did Olivia and Stephen, but that's beside the point.) Malevolent ghosts out for revenge are really not my jam, and I like forewarning if I absolutely can't avoid reading about them. So, yeah. There actually is ghostly shit going down at Blackhope, just so all readers are aware.
Now, the writing. Had the story actually been good, I probably wouldn't have minded the writing. But the story wasn't good, so I had less patience for all of the head-hopping, shoddy characterization, and caricaturized villains that populated Mesmerized's pages. Also, the actual romance was completely lost amidst all of the Black Magic hubbub, and I did not for one second believe that the protagonists had actually fallen in love. The HEA felt fake and inconsistent with everything that had come before.
All in all, Mezmerized feels like a book that wants to be a spooky paranormal, but is being forced to dress up like a historical romance. As might be expected, it fails as both, and is therefore disappointing and strange. There needed to be more ghosts or less ghosts, and either way, it still probably wouldn't have been fantastic.
Maybe someday I can fulfill my dream of reading the historical romance equivalent of Nancy Drew. Someday.
📌 . Blog | Review Database | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
But then...eh. There was too much going on. Black Magic! Warlocks! Long-lost secret ancestors! Cursed Norman treasure! Spiritual possessions! Maniacal ex-loves!
What the hell, Mesmerized? You're only one book, try to slow it down. Save some tropes for the other romances, you know?
Like I said, though: the book starts of promisingly. Olivia Moreland is an independent-minded lady (slightly anachronistic, but whatevs) who runs a side business in exposing fraudulent psychics in Victorian London. She meets Stephen, an earl, and he hires her to expose this Russian lady who's latched onto his mother. There's a house party (of sorts) at Stephen's ancestral estate, Blackhope.
Then things get super effing weird.
Olivia and Stephen have shared dreams about 12th century lovers? The psychic seems to not be so fake after all? There's a super secret treasure that seems to be the root of it all? Stephen's former lover is a scheming villainess? And somehow, amidst all this nonsense, I'm supposed to believe that there's "true love" in the air?
No, Candace. Just no. You have bitten off way more than you can chew with this one.
I really, honestly, did not pick up Mesmerized with the expectation that it would feature actual ghosts. I thought it was all fake! (So did Olivia and Stephen, but that's beside the point.) Malevolent ghosts out for revenge are really not my jam, and I like forewarning if I absolutely can't avoid reading about them. So, yeah. There actually is ghostly shit going down at Blackhope, just so all readers are aware.
Now, the writing. Had the story actually been good, I probably wouldn't have minded the writing. But the story wasn't good, so I had less patience for all of the head-hopping, shoddy characterization, and caricaturized villains that populated Mesmerized's pages. Also, the actual romance was completely lost amidst all of the Black Magic hubbub, and I did not for one second believe that the protagonists had actually fallen in love. The HEA felt fake and inconsistent with everything that had come before.
All in all, Mezmerized feels like a book that wants to be a spooky paranormal, but is being forced to dress up like a historical romance. As might be expected, it fails as both, and is therefore disappointing and strange. There needed to be more ghosts or less ghosts, and either way, it still probably wouldn't have been fantastic.
Maybe someday I can fulfill my dream of reading the historical romance equivalent of Nancy Drew. Someday.
📌 . Blog | Review Database | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
March 13, 2020
Candace Camp has come through again for me with another great read! Mesmerized, kept me coming back for more romance and suspense of what will happen at the end. It was a who done it, oh no she didn’t and man, I better start sleeping with a bat. Once these 20/20’s see something travel through a wall and disappear. I wouldn’t stand there and ask did you see that?
No sir! I wouldn’t care what I’m wearing, even if I was stark naked. I would yell: Tom, I’m outta here and head straight for door. In my hysterical mad dash, I’m shouting back, Tom forget the damn bags, we’ll send for a footman to retrieve them later. As I’m running down the drive.
Stephen and Olivia pulled off a good sleuth detective team to thwart the evil, swindling, mad villains that dared to enter the walls of Blackhope Hall. My fellow readers, I recommend this book. Happy reading. Until next time.
No sir! I wouldn’t care what I’m wearing, even if I was stark naked. I would yell: Tom, I’m outta here and head straight for door. In my hysterical mad dash, I’m shouting back, Tom forget the damn bags, we’ll send for a footman to retrieve them later. As I’m running down the drive.
Stephen and Olivia pulled off a good sleuth detective team to thwart the evil, swindling, mad villains that dared to enter the walls of Blackhope Hall. My fellow readers, I recommend this book. Happy reading. Until next time.
July 20, 2024
Don’t judge a book by the cover! This is a romance, but it’s also a suspense/mystery. Olivia is part of an unusual, aristocratic family. The large family is headed by intellectual parents who educated their children and have a laid back attitude about appropriate behavior. For Olivia, the lead of this first book, it means going out unchaperoned at night to reveal mediums who have taken London society by storm as charlatans. She meets Stephen, the male lead, at a seance where he assumes she’s in league with the medium. Once he realizes that she has a business dedicated to exposing mediums, he invites her to his home to ruin a medium who has become his mother’s obsession.
We have two skeptics dealing with one fake medium and a very real haunting at the same time and falling for each other along the way. It’s a fun, short romp!
We have two skeptics dealing with one fake medium and a very real haunting at the same time and falling for each other along the way. It’s a fun, short romp!
December 22, 2017
3.5 Stars!
Mesmerized was an intriguing blend of paranormal with historical romance and I enjoyed it quite a bit!
Olivia Moreland is in the business of exposing charlatans and it is during the course of such an investigation that she meets Lord Stephen St. Leger who inadvertently exposes her intentions. After his brother passed away leaving him to inherit the family title as well as the ancestral home, Stephen has returned home to discover his mother has become intertwined with a woman who claims to be able to communicate with spirits. Stephen decides to enlist Olivia’s help to expose the woman and save his family from scandal. However, things are not as they appear at Blackhope Hall and soon Olivia and Stephen are swept up in a centuries old mystery while battling their growing feelings in the present.
Olivia has spent her entire life with society labeling her family the “Mad Morelands”, but Olivia knows they’re not mad, just different. The only person Olivia thinks the nickname applies to is her grandmother who has always told Olivia she has the sight which she claims Olivia inherited as well. Olivia was naturally skeptical and in part started her business to discover if there was any truth to the claims. Despite actively working towards that goal, she has never seen anything that couldn’t be logically explained. Now, Olivia mainly uses her resources to expose fakes for what they are as she has become quite knowledgeable in their tricks.
Stephen has spent the last ten years in America seeking his fortune abroad as a second son as well as because the woman he was in love with married his brother instead. Prior to leaving England, Stephen had a falling out with his brother which he regrets was not repaired prior to his brother’s death. He cares deeply for his family and doesn’t want to cause his mother any additional pain while she is still grieving, but he does believe she is being taken advantage of. I admired that he tried to find the best way to expose the medium without hurting his mother.
Olivia and Stephen felt a connection to each other right away although they were initially hesitant to act on it. Stephen was immediately intrigued by the work Olivia did and quickly became enamored with her. Throughout the course of their investigation, Olivia and Stephen spent a great deal of time alone together which allowed them a chance to speak freely and get to know one another in a more intimate setting. When their relationship takes a turn for the physical, it develops quickly and is quite steamy which I enjoyed. For me, the only downside to their relationship was the character Pamela who I felt added an unnecessary jealousy plotline.
There are two paranormal plots woven together throughout Mesmerized, the investigation into medium Madame Valenskaya and the visions/dreams that Olivia and Stephen experience at Blackhope Hall. Both of these plots were interesting and I enjoyed watching things unfold, however I did get confused at times about what was real and what was fake. Overall though, the paranormal aspects of the book were very well done.
Mesmerized was an enjoyable and unique read as I’ve never read historical romance with a paranormal aspect before. I will definitely be checking out the other books in The Mad Morelands series and would recommend Mesmerized if you’re looking for a unique historical romance.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
Mesmerized was an intriguing blend of paranormal with historical romance and I enjoyed it quite a bit!
Olivia Moreland is in the business of exposing charlatans and it is during the course of such an investigation that she meets Lord Stephen St. Leger who inadvertently exposes her intentions. After his brother passed away leaving him to inherit the family title as well as the ancestral home, Stephen has returned home to discover his mother has become intertwined with a woman who claims to be able to communicate with spirits. Stephen decides to enlist Olivia’s help to expose the woman and save his family from scandal. However, things are not as they appear at Blackhope Hall and soon Olivia and Stephen are swept up in a centuries old mystery while battling their growing feelings in the present.
Olivia has spent her entire life with society labeling her family the “Mad Morelands”, but Olivia knows they’re not mad, just different. The only person Olivia thinks the nickname applies to is her grandmother who has always told Olivia she has the sight which she claims Olivia inherited as well. Olivia was naturally skeptical and in part started her business to discover if there was any truth to the claims. Despite actively working towards that goal, she has never seen anything that couldn’t be logically explained. Now, Olivia mainly uses her resources to expose fakes for what they are as she has become quite knowledgeable in their tricks.
Stephen has spent the last ten years in America seeking his fortune abroad as a second son as well as because the woman he was in love with married his brother instead. Prior to leaving England, Stephen had a falling out with his brother which he regrets was not repaired prior to his brother’s death. He cares deeply for his family and doesn’t want to cause his mother any additional pain while she is still grieving, but he does believe she is being taken advantage of. I admired that he tried to find the best way to expose the medium without hurting his mother.
Olivia and Stephen felt a connection to each other right away although they were initially hesitant to act on it. Stephen was immediately intrigued by the work Olivia did and quickly became enamored with her. Throughout the course of their investigation, Olivia and Stephen spent a great deal of time alone together which allowed them a chance to speak freely and get to know one another in a more intimate setting. When their relationship takes a turn for the physical, it develops quickly and is quite steamy which I enjoyed. For me, the only downside to their relationship was the character Pamela who I felt added an unnecessary jealousy plotline.
There are two paranormal plots woven together throughout Mesmerized, the investigation into medium Madame Valenskaya and the visions/dreams that Olivia and Stephen experience at Blackhope Hall. Both of these plots were interesting and I enjoyed watching things unfold, however I did get confused at times about what was real and what was fake. Overall though, the paranormal aspects of the book were very well done.
Mesmerized was an enjoyable and unique read as I’ve never read historical romance with a paranormal aspect before. I will definitely be checking out the other books in The Mad Morelands series and would recommend Mesmerized if you’re looking for a unique historical romance.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
December 25, 2017
Klasik bir tarihi roman diye başladım, sonuçta Candace Camp daha önce de okuduğum bir yazar. Gelin görün ki kitap bir anda paranormal bir boyut kazandı; kötü ruhlar, cadılar, geçmişten gelen hayaletler... Bence böyle bir geçiş yapması daha güzel olmuş yoksa diğer türlü biraz sıkacak gibiydi cidden. Yine de gecenin bir körü okumamak gerekmiş, gerildim gerçekten.
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When I saw Candace Camp's Mesmerized on Netgalley, I clicked without thinking. Candace Camp's books are published in Turkey too and I had good time while reading them.
What I expected was a good historical romance. What I found was a good historical romance AND good paranormal parts. I love that part, because ghosts, evil spirits are always good for me. In some parts I spooked too, Olivia is a member of "Mad Morelands" and her job is uncloack the mediums' tricks. This is how she met Stephan. Stephan's mother is in pain and finds peace with mediums, but she doesn't accept that they are frauds. To prove that Stephan hires Olivia. And when they got together they started to dream strange things, strange like people lived 500 years ago in that house. And they had to defeat that evil spirit.
If there was only historical parts, I may get bored. But with paranormal parts it got better. I’m planning to read the next book.
---
When I saw Candace Camp's Mesmerized on Netgalley, I clicked without thinking. Candace Camp's books are published in Turkey too and I had good time while reading them.
What I expected was a good historical romance. What I found was a good historical romance AND good paranormal parts. I love that part, because ghosts, evil spirits are always good for me. In some parts I spooked too, Olivia is a member of "Mad Morelands" and her job is uncloack the mediums' tricks. This is how she met Stephan. Stephan's mother is in pain and finds peace with mediums, but she doesn't accept that they are frauds. To prove that Stephan hires Olivia. And when they got together they started to dream strange things, strange like people lived 500 years ago in that house. And they had to defeat that evil spirit.
If there was only historical parts, I may get bored. But with paranormal parts it got better. I’m planning to read the next book.
February 21, 2018
Much to my surprise, I greatly enjoyed this book! Historical fiction is not my favorite, but the characters in this story were very easy to relate to. I am definitely going to continue with this series.
December 24, 2017
*I was given a copy by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
RATING:
MY REVIEW:
Olivia Morelands is the youngest daughter of a noble family known by the lots as the Mad Morelands. Despite being a lady, she made a profession of investigating and exposing charlatans, specifically those who are engaged in paranormal activities, and in such investigations she met Lord Stephen St. Leger.
After his brother's death, Stephen came home to claim the family title along with an ancestral home named Blackhope Hall which seemed to be more intriguing than the home he remembered and grown up in. With his mother still grieving and enamored by a woman who claimed she can speak to spirits, Stephen seek help from Olivia.
But frauds aren't just what to be exposed, suddenly, there are talks of lost souls and evil spirits.
And of an intriguing affair between two people who have been dead for centuries.
........Let me start by saying that my Netgalley shelf is filled with Historical Romances because I love this genre so much. Needless to say, I was so excited to read this one. Sadly it didn't satisfy me as much as wanted it to.
The story started perfectly. Actually, the whole idea of a man and a woman who is skeptical when it comes to paranormal stuffs joined forces to expose a fraud, and ended up exposing more than they bargained for. It was amazing. How Olivia and Stephen met was amazingly done.
Actually, most of the scenes should've been great but I found that the writing isn't for me. Too informative making it too predictable. I had rolled my eyes countless times, and occasionally blurting out 'SERIOUSLY?!?' because really. There are instances that I want the characters to in front of me so I can smack them. The thing is right in front of their eyes, of their beautiful faces, and yet they kept on going over and over about their evidences. And by evidences I mean, the events that have happened all throughout their so-called investigation.
They kept repeating everything. SERIOUSLY!?! They would rehash it first in their minds and then speak it or sometimes vice versa. I thinks that's not necessary. Tehre are so many times that things could've been summarized into a single sentence than repeating everything else. It gets boring.
I also don't like the style of writing where in another's POV one is wondering about something about the other and in the other's POV it would be revealed. TOO INFORMATIVE. The readers can figure these things out. No need to literally tell the readers everything.
Also it bothered me, how saintly the main protagonists are. Their literally saints in all aspect, including physical. Countless times, the main ladies, Lady Alys and Lady Olivia were both depicted as women who aren't only strong, they're also have great hearts. Ugh!!!. Worse, sometimes, their good qualities were literally spoken.
I think my stars are only for the paranormal side, I kinda enjoyed them.
Hope if any of you happen to read this book, you guys enjoy it more than I did. :) I think it's still available on Netgalley.
Happy Reading guys :)
RATING:
MY REVIEW:
Olivia Morelands is the youngest daughter of a noble family known by the lots as the Mad Morelands. Despite being a lady, she made a profession of investigating and exposing charlatans, specifically those who are engaged in paranormal activities, and in such investigations she met Lord Stephen St. Leger.
After his brother's death, Stephen came home to claim the family title along with an ancestral home named Blackhope Hall which seemed to be more intriguing than the home he remembered and grown up in. With his mother still grieving and enamored by a woman who claimed she can speak to spirits, Stephen seek help from Olivia.
But frauds aren't just what to be exposed, suddenly, there are talks of lost souls and evil spirits.
And of an intriguing affair between two people who have been dead for centuries.
........Let me start by saying that my Netgalley shelf is filled with Historical Romances because I love this genre so much. Needless to say, I was so excited to read this one. Sadly it didn't satisfy me as much as wanted it to.
The story started perfectly. Actually, the whole idea of a man and a woman who is skeptical when it comes to paranormal stuffs joined forces to expose a fraud, and ended up exposing more than they bargained for. It was amazing. How Olivia and Stephen met was amazingly done.
Actually, most of the scenes should've been great but I found that the writing isn't for me. Too informative making it too predictable. I had rolled my eyes countless times, and occasionally blurting out 'SERIOUSLY?!?' because really. There are instances that I want the characters to in front of me so I can smack them. The thing is right in front of their eyes, of their beautiful faces, and yet they kept on going over and over about their evidences. And by evidences I mean, the events that have happened all throughout their so-called investigation.
They kept repeating everything. SERIOUSLY!?! They would rehash it first in their minds and then speak it or sometimes vice versa. I thinks that's not necessary. Tehre are so many times that things could've been summarized into a single sentence than repeating everything else. It gets boring.
I also don't like the style of writing where in another's POV one is wondering about something about the other and in the other's POV it would be revealed. TOO INFORMATIVE. The readers can figure these things out. No need to literally tell the readers everything.
Also it bothered me, how saintly the main protagonists are. Their literally saints in all aspect, including physical. Countless times, the main ladies, Lady Alys and Lady Olivia were both depicted as women who aren't only strong, they're also have great hearts. Ugh!!!. Worse, sometimes, their good qualities were literally spoken.
I think my stars are only for the paranormal side, I kinda enjoyed them.
Hope if any of you happen to read this book, you guys enjoy it more than I did. :) I think it's still available on Netgalley.
Happy Reading guys :)
January 9, 2018
When I first opened this book, I’ll be honest, I expected to be reading a bodice-ripper. Thankfully, this book mixed historical romance with a dash of the paranormal to produce something rather different- and something that I rather enjoyed!
Olivia Moreland is one of the ‘Mad Morelands’- a suspiciously ahead-of-their-time family, who have been marked by society as ‘odd’ because of the progressive beliefs that they have and crazy adventures they all get up to: Olivia’s sister is a budding chemist, and her brothers have a penchant for blowing things up. Olivia herself has started a business unmasking the fake mediums that were extremely popular in the death-obsessed Victorian society, but when she crosses paths with Lord Stephen St. Leger she accidently becomes involved in a centuries-old mystery and a ghost hunt in Stephen’s ancestral home, all whilst battling her feelings for him.
I really liked the fact that Olivia and Stephen’s relationship didn’t follow the prescribed romantic formula; there was a minimum of irritated snapping, taking offence, and misunderstandings, which instead let the characters interact more naturally, spend more time together, and foregrounded their growing relationship. It also made more room for the two mysteries at hand: the fake medium that Stephen’s mother is reliant on after the death of her eldest son, and the very real ghost mystery that haunts Blackhope Hall, complete with vanishing spirits, visions and dreams that plague both Olivia nad Stephen. The two strands are woven cleverly together, with the author skillfully walking the line between the paranormal and the fake, and the result was something that kept me gripped: I never knew quite which way the story was going to turn!
The only thing I did take issue with was the sometimes-slow pace of the plotting. There were several occasions where Olivia and Stephen are about to fall into a passionate embrace but- in the nick of time- decide that instead they’d better run away instead. Once is great; twice is fine. Three or four repetitions of this had me was rolling my eyes. This approach was also repeated when it came to their shared skepticism over the visions they both experience: again, too much repetition made the plot drag.
That, combined with a little too much on-the-nose dialogue, was enough to make me put down the book for a while, for some deep breathing exercises.
This was a shame, because the nub of the plot was great. It was interesting, had a whole host of unsavoury characters- my favourite was the fake medium- and villains. Though the ancient mystery was a tad predictable, I enjoyed reading about how it impacted Olivia and Stephen in the present day, and wove into the overall plot, especially as there was so much good stuff going on.
Overall, Mesmerised was a good read, with a rather unique premise, memorable characters and some good plotting. A little more editing, and a little more character development, and it would have been great: that said, this is the first in a series, so I’ll be looking forward to seeing what else Camp has to offer!
Olivia Moreland is one of the ‘Mad Morelands’- a suspiciously ahead-of-their-time family, who have been marked by society as ‘odd’ because of the progressive beliefs that they have and crazy adventures they all get up to: Olivia’s sister is a budding chemist, and her brothers have a penchant for blowing things up. Olivia herself has started a business unmasking the fake mediums that were extremely popular in the death-obsessed Victorian society, but when she crosses paths with Lord Stephen St. Leger she accidently becomes involved in a centuries-old mystery and a ghost hunt in Stephen’s ancestral home, all whilst battling her feelings for him.
I really liked the fact that Olivia and Stephen’s relationship didn’t follow the prescribed romantic formula; there was a minimum of irritated snapping, taking offence, and misunderstandings, which instead let the characters interact more naturally, spend more time together, and foregrounded their growing relationship. It also made more room for the two mysteries at hand: the fake medium that Stephen’s mother is reliant on after the death of her eldest son, and the very real ghost mystery that haunts Blackhope Hall, complete with vanishing spirits, visions and dreams that plague both Olivia nad Stephen. The two strands are woven cleverly together, with the author skillfully walking the line between the paranormal and the fake, and the result was something that kept me gripped: I never knew quite which way the story was going to turn!
The only thing I did take issue with was the sometimes-slow pace of the plotting. There were several occasions where Olivia and Stephen are about to fall into a passionate embrace but- in the nick of time- decide that instead they’d better run away instead. Once is great; twice is fine. Three or four repetitions of this had me was rolling my eyes. This approach was also repeated when it came to their shared skepticism over the visions they both experience: again, too much repetition made the plot drag.
That, combined with a little too much on-the-nose dialogue, was enough to make me put down the book for a while, for some deep breathing exercises.
This was a shame, because the nub of the plot was great. It was interesting, had a whole host of unsavoury characters- my favourite was the fake medium- and villains. Though the ancient mystery was a tad predictable, I enjoyed reading about how it impacted Olivia and Stephen in the present day, and wove into the overall plot, especially as there was so much good stuff going on.
Overall, Mesmerised was a good read, with a rather unique premise, memorable characters and some good plotting. A little more editing, and a little more character development, and it would have been great: that said, this is the first in a series, so I’ll be looking forward to seeing what else Camp has to offer!
January 18, 2023
Olivia Moreland has made a business out of discrediting those who pretend to be mediums as a way to fleece unsuspecting grievers of their money. When Lord Stephen St. Leger seeks her expertise in vetting the supposed psychic who has attached herself to his mother, she can’t deny that the foreboding she feels at his old, castle-like estate is very real, nor can she discount the near instant chemistry she has with Stephen.
Newly returned from America, Stephen hasn’t lived at Blackhope Hall since his older brother married the woman he thought he loved. With his brother’s death, Stephen has been forced to return to claim the title and finds his mother has been completely taken in by a medium. Stephen believes this woman is a grasping fraud and sets out to reveal her duplicity with Olivia’s help, though he can’t help being a little distracted by the connection he feels with her almost immediately upon their meeting.
This book had a wild plot that tended to focus more on mystery than romance, but I never felt like the romance actually suffered or that the relationship between Olivia and Stephen wasn’t believable. Their chemistry and connection were so palpable and undeniable that the romance remained intact, and I loved the fact that Stephen and Olivia were working together to solve a mystery. Much of the drama and plot driving force here was conflict outside their interpersonal relationship and that kept the angst low while still keeping me enthralled and wanting to keep reading (in this case, listening), and that’s what I want in every book I read, though it is increasingly hard to find. Though, I will say it did have much more of a paranormal aspect than I had initially expected, this did not lessen my enjoyment of the story. I really liked the unconventionality of this couple and their romance; the pacing held my attention, and the unique characters were charming and easy to root for. I’ve been reading this series all out of order, but that hasn’t lessened my enjoyment and I’ll continue to do so as I work to fill in the gaps of what I haven’t yet read.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
Newly returned from America, Stephen hasn’t lived at Blackhope Hall since his older brother married the woman he thought he loved. With his brother’s death, Stephen has been forced to return to claim the title and finds his mother has been completely taken in by a medium. Stephen believes this woman is a grasping fraud and sets out to reveal her duplicity with Olivia’s help, though he can’t help being a little distracted by the connection he feels with her almost immediately upon their meeting.
This book had a wild plot that tended to focus more on mystery than romance, but I never felt like the romance actually suffered or that the relationship between Olivia and Stephen wasn’t believable. Their chemistry and connection were so palpable and undeniable that the romance remained intact, and I loved the fact that Stephen and Olivia were working together to solve a mystery. Much of the drama and plot driving force here was conflict outside their interpersonal relationship and that kept the angst low while still keeping me enthralled and wanting to keep reading (in this case, listening), and that’s what I want in every book I read, though it is increasingly hard to find. Though, I will say it did have much more of a paranormal aspect than I had initially expected, this did not lessen my enjoyment of the story. I really liked the unconventionality of this couple and their romance; the pacing held my attention, and the unique characters were charming and easy to root for. I’ve been reading this series all out of order, but that hasn’t lessened my enjoyment and I’ll continue to do so as I work to fill in the gaps of what I haven’t yet read.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
December 27, 2017
Olivia Moreland investigates psychic phenomena in order to debunk them. So when Stephen St. Leger invites her to his country estate in order to discredit a so-called ‘medium’ who has her claws into his mother, and strange phenomena begin to occur, Olivia and Stephen have to band together to try and find out what is behind the disturbances. They also have to contend with Pamela, the conniving widow of Stephen’s older brother, who seems determined to get her hooks into Stephen now he is the holder of the title.
I really liked both Olivia and Stephen, and I enjoyed the clever way supernatural phenomena were used to combine a historical tragedy with present-day happenings. The explanation of how charlatans conducted their ‘magic’ tricks in the Victorian era was really intriguing and I’d have enjoyed reading more.
However, I had a couple of major issues with the story. Since the book is set in 1876, Pamela couldn’t marry Stephen because the Marriage Act of 1835 declared void any marriage which occurred with the ‘proscribed degree of consanguinity’. This included marrying the widow of one’s brother. So Pamela’s attempts to lure Stephen were completely pointless. This law was not repealed until 1921, and frankly I find it inconceivable that Stephen wouldn’t have simply stated to Pamela’s face that any relationship between them was impossible not only because of his feelings, but because it was actually illegal. I can only assume that the author is not aware of this fact.
In addition, on one occasion Olivia uses the word ‘gotten’ in dialogue. While this word is, contrary to popular belief, of Old English origins, by the late 18th century it had fallen out of use in the UK and would never have been used by an Englishwoman in the Victorian era.
Frankly, I expect better from an author of Candace Camp’s standing, and of her editors at Harlequin’s historical division. Though I enjoyed the read, any historical purist would feel just as frustrated at such errors as I did. Three stars.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley.
I really liked both Olivia and Stephen, and I enjoyed the clever way supernatural phenomena were used to combine a historical tragedy with present-day happenings. The explanation of how charlatans conducted their ‘magic’ tricks in the Victorian era was really intriguing and I’d have enjoyed reading more.
However, I had a couple of major issues with the story. Since the book is set in 1876, Pamela couldn’t marry Stephen because the Marriage Act of 1835 declared void any marriage which occurred with the ‘proscribed degree of consanguinity’. This included marrying the widow of one’s brother. So Pamela’s attempts to lure Stephen were completely pointless. This law was not repealed until 1921, and frankly I find it inconceivable that Stephen wouldn’t have simply stated to Pamela’s face that any relationship between them was impossible not only because of his feelings, but because it was actually illegal. I can only assume that the author is not aware of this fact.
In addition, on one occasion Olivia uses the word ‘gotten’ in dialogue. While this word is, contrary to popular belief, of Old English origins, by the late 18th century it had fallen out of use in the UK and would never have been used by an Englishwoman in the Victorian era.
Frankly, I expect better from an author of Candace Camp’s standing, and of her editors at Harlequin’s historical division. Though I enjoyed the read, any historical purist would feel just as frustrated at such errors as I did. Three stars.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley.
April 4, 2022
Irgendwie hat diese Geschichte nicht bei mir gezündet und das Trotz Geister und Schatzsuche.
July 28, 2020
**3.5 stars**
Mediums were very prevalent in Victorian England, as were those who tried to debunk them. Lady Olivia Moreland is one of these debunkers and she's hired by Stephen St. Ledger to unmask the medium that's bilking his mother of both her jewels and her peace. Thus, Olivia travels to Blackhope, Stephen's ancestral manor, and discovers that there may be something more sinister at work that she could have imagined. (FYI...the description in the book says the brother was murdered but this wasn't the case.)
With this story, the author had her cake and ate it too: it was clear that the medium in question was a charlatan while other events in the book pointed to the existence of the supernatural. Not sure
I liked several things in the book, that's why I'm rounding up instead of down (which I usually tend to do):
- Love the heroine's eccentric family and their love of learning. I particularly enjoyed when the mother told one of the brother's off when he tried to "protect" his sisters.
- Really liked Stephen's and Olivia's logical approach to the problem with the medium. After every seance, they logically discussed what was going on and how the tricks could have been performed. Only after they've examined things thoroughly were they willing to be consider that the supernatural was at work.
- Liked that when Olivia wanted to know something about Stephen, she asked! She didn't let any misunderstandings get in the way of them.
- Olivia takes care of business at the end. Love it when the heroine saves them both.
I don't rate this a truly 4-stars because the story dragged in the middle. For a while, it seems the same things were happening over and over. The plot with Sir Raymund didn't make much sense to me and I thought she got rid of him a bit too easily, after all the havoc he had wrought. Also, not as sexy as I hoped!
The narrator had really good male and female voices but has a bit of an uptalk when he's doing all the narrating bits. Not enough to make the narration unpleasant but enough that you'll notice.
I'll definitely listen to the next book in the series.
Mediums were very prevalent in Victorian England, as were those who tried to debunk them. Lady Olivia Moreland is one of these debunkers and she's hired by Stephen St. Ledger to unmask the medium that's bilking his mother of both her jewels and her peace. Thus, Olivia travels to Blackhope, Stephen's ancestral manor, and discovers that there may be something more sinister at work that she could have imagined. (FYI...the description in the book says the brother was murdered but this wasn't the case.)
With this story, the author had her cake and ate it too: it was clear that the medium in question was a charlatan while other events in the book pointed to the existence of the supernatural. Not sure
I liked several things in the book, that's why I'm rounding up instead of down (which I usually tend to do):
- Love the heroine's eccentric family and their love of learning. I particularly enjoyed when the mother told one of the brother's off when he tried to "protect" his sisters.
- Really liked Stephen's and Olivia's logical approach to the problem with the medium. After every seance, they logically discussed what was going on and how the tricks could have been performed. Only after they've examined things thoroughly were they willing to be consider that the supernatural was at work.
- Liked that when Olivia wanted to know something about Stephen, she asked! She didn't let any misunderstandings get in the way of them.
- Olivia takes care of business at the end. Love it when the heroine saves them both.
I don't rate this a truly 4-stars because the story dragged in the middle. For a while, it seems the same things were happening over and over. The plot with Sir Raymund didn't make much sense to me and I thought she got rid of him a bit too easily, after all the havoc he had wrought. Also, not as sexy as I hoped!
The narrator had really good male and female voices but has a bit of an uptalk when he's doing all the narrating bits. Not enough to make the narration unpleasant but enough that you'll notice.
I'll definitely listen to the next book in the series.
November 6, 2020
Apuntaba maneras, pero se ha quedado en un quiero, pero no puedo.
Admito que ha influido el que lo he leído en una mala semana (cansancio, trabajo...) y se me ha hecho interminable. No obstante, no sólo he sido yo, la parte romántica es bastante mediocre. La paranormal aceptable. Así que no hay nada que haya sobresalido, excepto la idea inicial
Admito que ha influido el que lo he leído en una mala semana (cansancio, trabajo...) y se me ha hecho interminable. No obstante, no sólo he sido yo, la parte romántica es bastante mediocre. La paranormal aceptable. Así que no hay nada que haya sobresalido, excepto la idea inicial
January 2, 2018
Eccentric families and a touch of the supernatural is right up my alley!
February 9, 2024
Lady Olivia har som mål att avslöja alla medier som menar sig kunna tala med döda - och ska precis till att göra det vid en seans när hon blir avbruten av lord Stephen. Som försökt göra detsamma…
När de inser att de har samma mål blir lady Olivia inbjuden till hans gods för att hjälpa honom avslöja det medium hans mor bjudit dit, då hon desperat längtar efter ett “besök” av sin hastigt avlidne son.
Men förmågor om lady Olivia ärvt av sin farmor kommer i dagen - tillsammans med avslöjanden av både simpla bedragare och farliga brottslingar. Samt varma känslor…
***
En lagom mix av spänning och romantik. Och första delen i en serie om syskonen Moreland - och jo, jag har redan läst nästa del. 🙂
När de inser att de har samma mål blir lady Olivia inbjuden till hans gods för att hjälpa honom avslöja det medium hans mor bjudit dit, då hon desperat längtar efter ett “besök” av sin hastigt avlidne son.
Men förmågor om lady Olivia ärvt av sin farmor kommer i dagen - tillsammans med avslöjanden av både simpla bedragare och farliga brottslingar. Samt varma känslor…
***
En lagom mix av spänning och romantik. Och första delen i en serie om syskonen Moreland - och jo, jag har redan läst nästa del. 🙂
July 30, 2019
This book has two plot elements that I love:
1. Anything to do with psychic investigators and
2. A historical/paranormal combo.
So did it deliver on the implied goodness? Kind of. The heroine is a psychic investigator -- somewhat open-minded but spends her time debunking fake mediums and spiritualists -- and there is an actual paranormal element. The paranormal part was fairly weak, though. As a historical romance, it was okay. I would definitely be willing to read another book by Candace Camp, so overall it was pretty good. Three stars for an entertaining but not particularly memorable read.
1. Anything to do with psychic investigators and
2. A historical/paranormal combo.
So did it deliver on the implied goodness? Kind of. The heroine is a psychic investigator -- somewhat open-minded but spends her time debunking fake mediums and spiritualists -- and there is an actual paranormal element. The paranormal part was fairly weak, though. As a historical romance, it was okay. I would definitely be willing to read another book by Candace Camp, so overall it was pretty good. Three stars for an entertaining but not particularly memorable read.
November 14, 2023
I have submitted this review after listening to the audiobook of this title. (Audible Membership)
They met accidentally at a seonce and because he had a woman claiming to be able to speak to his dead brother, causing him problems, he thought that he could use her expertise in outing the fraudster.
They met accidentally at a seonce and because he had a woman claiming to be able to speak to his dead brother, causing him problems, he thought that he could use her expertise in outing the fraudster.
January 29, 2021
Romance muy tierno. Un toque de vidas pasadas, algún fantasma pero nada exagerado en esta histórica victoriana. mucha tensión sexual y alguna escenita. Casi 4 pero se me hizo un embrollo al final.
February 3, 2021
Merece la pena comenzar a conocer a los locos Moreland.
En este libro la historia romántica se ve algo eclipsada por la trama de suspense pero no importa.
En este libro la historia romántica se ve algo eclipsada por la trama de suspense pero no importa.
November 12, 2022
Heroine: Olivia Moreland, age unknown. Daughter of the Duke of Broughton. Investigates paranormal activity perpetrated by fraudsters.
Hero: Stephen St. Leger, age unknown. Earl of St. Leger. Believes his mother is being duped by a medium.
Date: 1876
How they meet: Olivia and Stephen attend the same séance, both with the intention of proving it is a scam.
What happens: Stephen hires Olivia to investigate the medium he believes is duping his mother. His mother has invited the medium, the medium’s daughter, and an associate to their country house, so Stephen invites Olivia to come as well thinking it will be the perfect way to expose the medium as a fraud.
Verdict: I found this book slow to get into, but I kept with it in case it was important to later books in the series. Once the non-romance aspect of the story was about more than just exposing a fraudster it improved for me. The relationship was slow to build between the hero and heroine, but once they started to feel a connection via their investigation (also at about the point when the non-romance story got more interesting), then the romantic chemistry started to build. It was a slow burn without any fiery passion, so it was a bit lower on the steam-level than other books I’ve read from this author. Good but not great, although I am curious about this series following what seems to be a rather unique family.
Steam-level: some steam and somewhat explicit
Rating: 3 stars
Hero: Stephen St. Leger, age unknown. Earl of St. Leger. Believes his mother is being duped by a medium.
Date: 1876
How they meet: Olivia and Stephen attend the same séance, both with the intention of proving it is a scam.
What happens: Stephen hires Olivia to investigate the medium he believes is duping his mother. His mother has invited the medium, the medium’s daughter, and an associate to their country house, so Stephen invites Olivia to come as well thinking it will be the perfect way to expose the medium as a fraud.
Verdict: I found this book slow to get into, but I kept with it in case it was important to later books in the series. Once the non-romance aspect of the story was about more than just exposing a fraudster it improved for me. The relationship was slow to build between the hero and heroine, but once they started to feel a connection via their investigation (also at about the point when the non-romance story got more interesting), then the romantic chemistry started to build. It was a slow burn without any fiery passion, so it was a bit lower on the steam-level than other books I’ve read from this author. Good but not great, although I am curious about this series following what seems to be a rather unique family.
Steam-level: some steam and somewhat explicit
Rating: 3 stars
November 26, 2021
3.5 estrellas
Redondeo a cuatro estrellas porque este libro no lo he leído, lo he devorado en unas pocas horas. Teniendo en cuenta que suelo leer una media de entre 5 y 7 libros en físico; y que los tengo que intercalar, es mucho decir. Tengo que seguir leyendo a esta escritora porque puede ser, puede, que haya encontrado a mi autora favorita de este subgénero.
La historia en sí es muy interesante y, por supuesto, entretenida. Se lee en un suspiro porque engancha cosa mala. Por lo menos para mi gusto, que estas reseñas siempre son muy relativas. Siempre basadas en mis preferencias personales.
Los personajes me han caído todos bien. No he encontrado ninguna problemática con ellos. Está claro que la época en la que está ambientado es muy conservadora pero esta escritora no es excesiva en este tema. Las protagonistas femeninas parece que hasta tienen libido y todo 🤣 Me gusta, y mucho, que no enfrenta a sus personajes femeninos aunque sean "antagonistas" en el amor o en otras cosas. Por lo menos en este caso.
Tiene un toque paranormal y de leyenda muy bien conseguido. También tiene algo de misterio. Un poco predecible en cierto punto, pero no estropea la lectura.
La miríada de personajes presentados en este primer libro de la saga me ha resultado interesante. Quizá se ha pasado un pelín dando información; y los diálogos, a veces, parecían algo rígidos pero no sé si era cosa del texto original o de la traducción.
La edición:
De Harlequin Ibérica sa. publicado el año 2011 en formato de bolsillo. No es excesivamente pequeño por lo que es fácil de manejar durante la lectura. El diseño de los capítulos me gustó. Para variar, Harlequin no incluye el nombre del traductor (muy mal). La traducción está bien, tiene algunas erratas pero no más allá de lo normal o esperado.
Por último, voy a seguir leyendo esta saga y algún libro más al que le he echado el ojo. Como ya he escrito, quiero saber si puede llegar a convertirse en una de mis escritoras favoritas de romántica. Ya veremos.
Redondeo a cuatro estrellas porque este libro no lo he leído, lo he devorado en unas pocas horas. Teniendo en cuenta que suelo leer una media de entre 5 y 7 libros en físico; y que los tengo que intercalar, es mucho decir. Tengo que seguir leyendo a esta escritora porque puede ser, puede, que haya encontrado a mi autora favorita de este subgénero.
La historia en sí es muy interesante y, por supuesto, entretenida. Se lee en un suspiro porque engancha cosa mala. Por lo menos para mi gusto, que estas reseñas siempre son muy relativas. Siempre basadas en mis preferencias personales.
Los personajes me han caído todos bien. No he encontrado ninguna problemática con ellos. Está claro que la época en la que está ambientado es muy conservadora pero esta escritora no es excesiva en este tema. Las protagonistas femeninas parece que hasta tienen libido y todo 🤣 Me gusta, y mucho, que no enfrenta a sus personajes femeninos aunque sean "antagonistas" en el amor o en otras cosas. Por lo menos en este caso.
Tiene un toque paranormal y de leyenda muy bien conseguido. También tiene algo de misterio. Un poco predecible en cierto punto, pero no estropea la lectura.
La miríada de personajes presentados en este primer libro de la saga me ha resultado interesante. Quizá se ha pasado un pelín dando información; y los diálogos, a veces, parecían algo rígidos pero no sé si era cosa del texto original o de la traducción.
La edición:
De Harlequin Ibérica sa. publicado el año 2011 en formato de bolsillo. No es excesivamente pequeño por lo que es fácil de manejar durante la lectura. El diseño de los capítulos me gustó. Para variar, Harlequin no incluye el nombre del traductor (muy mal). La traducción está bien, tiene algunas erratas pero no más allá de lo normal o esperado.
Por último, voy a seguir leyendo esta saga y algún libro más al que le he echado el ojo. Como ya he escrito, quiero saber si puede llegar a convertirse en una de mis escritoras favoritas de romántica. Ya veremos.
June 4, 2020
Mesmerized is about a young lady who makes her business to oust charlatans who pose as psychics, etc and one night when she was about to catch one in the act she is caught by Lord Stephen St. Leger who thinks she is part of the act and that he is catching her.
Once he finds out who Olivia is he decides to hire her to go with him to his home because his mother has invited some psychics to come to the house and he is afraid they are taking advantage of her because she wants to contact her dead son. Olivia agrees to go and is frustrated half the time by Lord Stephan and attracted to him at the same time.
Olivia knows something is going on and she is ready to catch them in the act, but there are somethings happening that are not as explainable as wires and mechanisms. Both her and Lord Stephan are having identical dreams about the house and those that use to live there, they see a ghost they can't discount, etc.
This was a decent read with fun characters. I really liked both Olivia and Stephen and thought they worked well together and their romance was believable. There was just something about this book that kept it from being a great book and to be honest it's not very memorable and I can't even remember what it was I didn't like...lol.
Once he finds out who Olivia is he decides to hire her to go with him to his home because his mother has invited some psychics to come to the house and he is afraid they are taking advantage of her because she wants to contact her dead son. Olivia agrees to go and is frustrated half the time by Lord Stephan and attracted to him at the same time.
Olivia knows something is going on and she is ready to catch them in the act, but there are somethings happening that are not as explainable as wires and mechanisms. Both her and Lord Stephan are having identical dreams about the house and those that use to live there, they see a ghost they can't discount, etc.
This was a decent read with fun characters. I really liked both Olivia and Stephen and thought they worked well together and their romance was believable. There was just something about this book that kept it from being a great book and to be honest it's not very memorable and I can't even remember what it was I didn't like...lol.
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