Chase, Loretta - Captives of the Night (partial)
Just as an explanation, I usually just stop reading books when I don't like them. But I got three-fourths of the way through this one before the Extremely Sporktastic Element came in, and thereby have enough content for a post.
Also, I am still grumpy about it and want to rant.
Leila Beaumont, nee Bridgemont, married Francis Beaumont as an escape from her thieving father. Unfortunately Francis turns out to be a horrible, degenerate, nasty person, as exemplified by his sexual interest in men (cue desire to throw book against wall). Lucky for her, he's murdered. Unlucky for her, the suspicion falls on her. She ends up teaming up with Ismal, Count of Esmond, who is secretly an Albanian pasha-type character who is masquerading as a Frenchman while spying on people. You can tell he is Exotic and Not-Quite-European because he doesn't use contractions.
This is the point in which I started to wonder if this was Loretta Chase's Dunnett-inspired book, as it seems that all romance authors must have one.
Halfway through, I figured out that this must be the sequel to The Lion's Daughter, and that Ismal was probably the anti-hero in that book.
I very much like the tension between Leila and Ismal, particularly the acknowledgement that Ismal was attempting to overwhelm her with lust.
On the other hand, I could very much live without homosexuality being the worst thing ever. I understand historical accuracy and that Leila's revulsion to her husband's participation in sodomy is probably accurate, but it would be rather nice if the text didn't support the reading that homosexuality = evil. Or that non-missionary sexuality = evil as well. Just one sympathetic homosexual character! Or something!
Spoilers!
Leila pushes Ismal to reveal his true name to her. When he decides to, she walks in on him reclining on silken cushions, in full Arabian Nights regalia. There is much about his past with the evil dictator Ali Pasha (lo! I wiki-ed and read up on Ali Pasha!). Ismal continues to not speak with contractions. I'm sure Leila was overwhelmed by his pasha-like charms while I nearly threw the book against a wall. Yay, a re-do of The Sheikh! Only let's just take the oh-so-exotic trappings of silk and turbans and cushions on the floor and discard the whole brown skin that sometimes go with it, as Ismal is a beautiful blonde-haired, blue-eyed speciman.
I think it was the silken cushions and full Arabian Nights regalia that did it. Ismal's Albanian past and ties to Ali Pasha are mentioned way earlier on in the book, and I was willing to overlook his exotic-ness and sexual prowess and whatnot because I liked his interactions with Leila, but good lord. I have little to no patience for Oriental fantasies, and as such, I refuse to finish this and will probably give both this book and The Lion's Daughter (for good measure) away.
Grrrr.
Also, I am still grumpy about it and want to rant.
Leila Beaumont, nee Bridgemont, married Francis Beaumont as an escape from her thieving father. Unfortunately Francis turns out to be a horrible, degenerate, nasty person, as exemplified by his sexual interest in men (cue desire to throw book against wall). Lucky for her, he's murdered. Unlucky for her, the suspicion falls on her. She ends up teaming up with Ismal, Count of Esmond, who is secretly an Albanian pasha-type character who is masquerading as a Frenchman while spying on people. You can tell he is Exotic and Not-Quite-European because he doesn't use contractions.
This is the point in which I started to wonder if this was Loretta Chase's Dunnett-inspired book, as it seems that all romance authors must have one.
Halfway through, I figured out that this must be the sequel to The Lion's Daughter, and that Ismal was probably the anti-hero in that book.
I very much like the tension between Leila and Ismal, particularly the acknowledgement that Ismal was attempting to overwhelm her with lust.
On the other hand, I could very much live without homosexuality being the worst thing ever. I understand historical accuracy and that Leila's revulsion to her husband's participation in sodomy is probably accurate, but it would be rather nice if the text didn't support the reading that homosexuality = evil. Or that non-missionary sexuality = evil as well. Just one sympathetic homosexual character! Or something!
Spoilers!
Leila pushes Ismal to reveal his true name to her. When he decides to, she walks in on him reclining on silken cushions, in full Arabian Nights regalia. There is much about his past with the evil dictator Ali Pasha (lo! I wiki-ed and read up on Ali Pasha!). Ismal continues to not speak with contractions. I'm sure Leila was overwhelmed by his pasha-like charms while I nearly threw the book against a wall. Yay, a re-do of The Sheikh! Only let's just take the oh-so-exotic trappings of silk and turbans and cushions on the floor and discard the whole brown skin that sometimes go with it, as Ismal is a beautiful blonde-haired, blue-eyed speciman.
I think it was the silken cushions and full Arabian Nights regalia that did it. Ismal's Albanian past and ties to Ali Pasha are mentioned way earlier on in the book, and I was willing to overlook his exotic-ness and sexual prowess and whatnot because I liked his interactions with Leila, but good lord. I have little to no patience for Oriental fantasies, and as such, I refuse to finish this and will probably give both this book and The Lion's Daughter (for good measure) away.
Grrrr.