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Fairy Tale Romance #9
Let Down Your Hair
DOWN FROM THE TOWER
Rachel Sommerville was captive. Not only was she practically imprisoned by her witch of an aunt in the Sommerville Towers, she was forced to sing for the San Franciscan hotel's guests. What was more, Roland Connor could see in her the repression of a wild sentiment, a savage desire that had yet to be released. He was counting on it --- for it was in seducing the young woman that his vengeance would be complete. Rachel was pure sweetness, a real American princess. If he were to tarnish the golden-haired beauty before her wedding night, send her to her bridal bower with more tricks than a saloon girl, he would gain his revenge on the man she was being forced to marry. But to free Rachel from the constraints of decency, to knock her from the high pedestal of her virtue, Roland needed a foothold to her heart --- and to harden his own. But that would happen soon enough ... as soon as she let down her hair.
Rachel Sommerville was captive. Not only was she practically imprisoned by her witch of an aunt in the Sommerville Towers, she was forced to sing for the San Franciscan hotel's guests. What was more, Roland Connor could see in her the repression of a wild sentiment, a savage desire that had yet to be released. He was counting on it --- for it was in seducing the young woman that his vengeance would be complete. Rachel was pure sweetness, a real American princess. If he were to tarnish the golden-haired beauty before her wedding night, send her to her bridal bower with more tricks than a saloon girl, he would gain his revenge on the man she was being forced to marry. But to free Rachel from the constraints of decency, to knock her from the high pedestal of her virtue, Roland needed a foothold to her heart --- and to harden his own. But that would happen soon enough ... as soon as she let down her hair.
359 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2001
11 people are currently reading
179 people want to read
About the author
Linda Winstead Jones
184 books378 followersLinda Winstead Jones is the bestselling author of more than eighty romance novels and novellas across several sub-genres. She’s easily distracted (Look! A squirrel!) and writes the stories that speak to her in the moment. Paranormal. Romantic Suspense. Twisted Fairy Tales. Cowboys. Her books are for readers who want to escape from reality for a while, who don’t mind the occasional trip into another world for a laugh, a chill, the occasional heartwarming tear. Where will we go next?
More information can be found at lindawinsteadjones.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter, and at www.facebook.com/LindaWinsteadJones or www.facebook.com/LindaHowardLindaJones.
More information can be found at lindawinsteadjones.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter, and at www.facebook.com/LindaWinsteadJones or www.facebook.com/LindaHowardLindaJones.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 19, 2016
I read this in one day. And not just in one day, but in 3 hours. That's 3 hours, people! If you are at all familiar with my reading history, you'll see that it usually takes me at least 3 weeks to read a book, not 3 hours. But these books are like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups: they're really, really unhealthy, they're totally yummy, and it's hard to stop at just one.
A (sort of) modern retelling of the Rapunzel fairy tale (I say sort of as the story's set in 1871 San Francisco), like all Love Spell romances and especially those by Linda Jones, this retelling is frothy, erotic, totally unrealistic, and zippy (obviously, since it only took me three hours to read! Sorry to keep repeating that, but it still astonishes me). And the way the "Let down your hair" angle from the classic Rapunzel tale is used here is truly adorable and funny. There's a minor difference to the fairy tale in that Jones has thrown in a slight Jack the Ripper-like murder-mystery to spice things up, and I do mean slight; anyone even remotely on the ball will be able to guess the perpetrator from the very beginning, despite the deflection of suspicion near the end (which only serves to prove who the villain is, actually).
Oh, and what is it with making every man over six feet tall? I've especially come to notice this after doing research for my own hist-fic: men in the United States in 1880 averaged about 169.5 cm, which is only about 5'5" tall; a man standing 6'2" would be considered, if not quite a freak, then someone who would definitely attract a lot of attention. Yet all historical romance novel heroes routinely stand at this height or more. Weird. I mean, I know historical romance novels are written for contemporary readers, which means using contemporary ideals, but couldn't there be a little bit of accuracy? Maybe make the hero only 5'10"? That's still tall, just not... sequoia tall. Sorry, I'm rambling. Brain fart! See, this is what reading these books does to a person; it makes them all dizzy and incoherent (that's the unhealthy part of the comparison to Reese's Cups above). Yet it won't stop me picking up another title in the Love Spell Fairy Tale line. (I told you they were hard to stop at just one!)
A (sort of) modern retelling of the Rapunzel fairy tale (I say sort of as the story's set in 1871 San Francisco), like all Love Spell romances and especially those by Linda Jones, this retelling is frothy, erotic, totally unrealistic, and zippy (obviously, since it only took me three hours to read! Sorry to keep repeating that, but it still astonishes me). And the way the "Let down your hair" angle from the classic Rapunzel tale is used here is truly adorable and funny. There's a minor difference to the fairy tale in that Jones has thrown in a slight Jack the Ripper-like murder-mystery to spice things up, and I do mean slight; anyone even remotely on the ball will be able to guess the perpetrator from the very beginning, despite the deflection of suspicion near the end (which only serves to prove who the villain is, actually).
Oh, and what is it with making every man over six feet tall? I've especially come to notice this after doing research for my own hist-fic: men in the United States in 1880 averaged about 169.5 cm, which is only about 5'5" tall; a man standing 6'2" would be considered, if not quite a freak, then someone who would definitely attract a lot of attention. Yet all historical romance novel heroes routinely stand at this height or more. Weird. I mean, I know historical romance novels are written for contemporary readers, which means using contemporary ideals, but couldn't there be a little bit of accuracy? Maybe make the hero only 5'10"? That's still tall, just not... sequoia tall. Sorry, I'm rambling. Brain fart! See, this is what reading these books does to a person; it makes them all dizzy and incoherent (that's the unhealthy part of the comparison to Reese's Cups above). Yet it won't stop me picking up another title in the Love Spell Fairy Tale line. (I told you they were hard to stop at just one!)
December 12, 2015
I was intrgued with the retelling of Rapunzel into an American historical romance.
But the drama. To me, this story became sordid with murder, revenge, rape, and seduction. There is romance too and some mature bedroom scenes, but the negative parts overshadowed any happiness from reading this story. Not something I will seek to read again.
Mature content
Read in KU
But the drama. To me, this story became sordid with murder, revenge, rape, and seduction. There is romance too and some mature bedroom scenes, but the negative parts overshadowed any happiness from reading this story. Not something I will seek to read again.
Mature content
Read in KU
November 2, 2009
I picked this up as something light and quick to read. I enjoyed it a lot more then I thougth I would. Some of the Faerie Tale Romance books I've just not been able to get into but, I do very much enjoy the ones that Linda Jones has written.
I had the book figured out before I was half way though it and I had to keep reading to find out if what I thought was how the book was going to end.
I had the book figured out before I was half way though it and I had to keep reading to find out if what I thought was how the book was going to end.
December 7, 2023
I read this one for nostalgia since my mother and I used to talk about these Faerie Tale books by Linda Jones. At first I found this one predictable and thought I might not have to finish it, but then I became intrigued by the question of what would happen with the fiancé that stood in the couple's way.
Read
October 23, 2010loved it!
April 15, 2011
Updating my "read" books. I reviewed this for All About Romance years ago. The review is archived HERE
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews