Lords of Desire - Virginia Henley, Sally MacKenzie , Victoria Dahl and Kristi Astor

Wow , where has the year gone - I have been officially blogging book reviews etc for a year now - starting with a basic site http://www.paulazone.blogdrive.com/ and then moving to this site in July and I am glad I made the jump, I can do so much more on this site. Today's book is for all those women and the odd male "I work in a library and see the odd male pick up" that pick up and read Mills and Boon type books and those Historical novels. This novel is suited to the R18 audience.

                                                                   

Review : Lords of Desire - Virginia Henley, Sally MacKenzie, Victoria Dahl & Kristi Astor - 2009


For all those women and the odd male out there who are in need for some historical romance to get them through this holiday season, Have I got the book for you? Lords of Desire is a collection of 4 Short Stories . The first story was my favourite "Smuggler's Lair" by Virginia Henley - The newly-deceased reverand's Daughter is not what  you would expect, she puts on a facade for her mother but when she is alone - she's free, outspoken, bubbly and vivacious. She dreams of being her own person and not becoming what is dictated by society. When Victoria and her Family are invited to Bodiam Castle, it's a dream come true . However Victoria is in for a shock as a fall causes her to go back 100years where she falls in love with Falcon Hawkhurst , the then Owner of Bodiam Castle. It is a whirlwind romance, but one that cannot in reality last as Victoria must get back to the modern world. Soon she starts to see similarities with the new owner of the castle and Falcon. Has Victoria been given a second chance of love ? Find out in this time-travelling romance.
The second story is "The Naked Laird" by Sally MacKenzie and is set in Scotland , for Lord Ian and Lady Nell Kilgorn there love was a fast-track romance and one where lust and passion raged , however when Nell lost their child their relationship and marriage fell apart, they went their separate ways. Now ten years later - they have both been invited to the party of the season at the Viscount Morton's house. Soon they realise however , that Miss Smyth who arranged the bedrooms is a matchmaker and romantic at heart and has decided to put her meddling in relationships to use as Ian and Nell realise that they have both been invited and that they are to be sharing the same room. Is this the push Ian and Nell need to be together or with their history of pain and anger be too much for them to move forward ?
The third story is "Lessons in Pleasure" by Victoria Dahl , back in those days it was very common for a women not to have sex before marriage , so of course when the time came to it- for either party normally the female it could fuel quite nervous anxiety and energy, and that's what has happened in Lessons in Pleasure. Newly-wed Sarah has just gotten married to the one guy she loves , so she should be happy, estactic and over the moon -so why is it that everytime she gets close to him , her tummy fills with butterflies and she is filled with automatic anxiety. In order to form the real bond of marriage - body and soul and all that goes with it , James plans to awaken her sexual and sensual side with a night of giving and recieving pleasure. Is this the recipe that Sarah needs to bring her closer to James without anxiety ? Find out what can happen when you are taught Lessons in pleasure , so much more interesting than school work.
In the final story "Swept Away" by Kristi Astor , it tells the tale of the saying that "opposites attract". When at a country party, the passion and heat arises between gentleman's daughter - the vivacious , bubbly Christobel Smyth and the Northen Mill owner's son John Leyden. In a world and time where marrying your class or higher mattered for women and their families - anything below is not socially acceptable. These two at first don't get on the same step but soon they will discover that no matter how different they are, they are each other's perfect matches. Will Christobel be swept away by John or will John's pride and stubborness stand in their way of happiness together?