Friday 30 November 2007

"Web of Love" by Mary Balogh

Web of Love by Mary Balogh 1990

Description from back of book:
"He'd served with her husband on the battlefield - and yet secretly desired her for years. Yet for Dominic, Lieutenant Lord Eden, Ellen Simpson has remained tantalizingly out of reach - until she is widowed by the war. Suddenly pursued by the dangerously handsome nobleman, Ellen is stunned by the depth of attraction he arouses in her. Soon their friendship flames into something deeper...and as scandal ignites, marriage seems the only solution. But Ellen has a secret - one she can share with no one - that prevents her from fully opening her heart to Dominic. Until he devises his own plan for the ultimate consummation of their passion - and the woman he is determined to possess at any cost."

Hmm. I'm trying to figure out what they mean by that description, everything after and including "But Ellen has a secret..." WTF? I have read this book and I have no idea what they're talking about! Anyway, "Web of Love" is the second in the "Web" trilogy. These books are very different than Mary Balogh's other books. They're slower moving, a bit more detatched emotionally, and yet at the same time very beautiful books. This book is a little slow getting into it (Ellen's husband doesn't die until page 130), but the buildup helps with the book later. I really like Dominic - I've liked him since "The Gilded Web" - and it's nice to see him finally grow up and get away from the silly little girls he was courting all through "The Gilded Web." Ellen - well, I'm not so sure if I like her or not. She seems at the beginning like a really great character, but after Charlie dies and she makes love to Dominic, she turns rather cold, and never really warms up again. Despite this, though, this is a good book with a good, solid story, and worth reading.

RATING:

1/2

FAMILY-FRIENDLY RATING:

No comments:

RATING RUBRICS

OVERALL RATING

(or less)
Seriously. Don't waste your time. The author could spell and put together a sentence, but not a whole lot else.

This book might be worth reading, but it had some major flaws. Perhaps there were a lot of anachronisms, or plot elements that were not resolved. Perhaps the heroes were one-dimensional. Perhaps the love story was not believable. Perhaps the writing style left a great deal to be desired. Perhaps the plot was so complex that you got laden down with it about halfway through. These books are worth reading if you're really, really bored, but I wouldn't buy them at full-price.

This is a good book. There is a strong story line, the book is well written, and there aren't too many anachronisms. Still, there is something missing. Perhaps there are holes in the story. Perhaps one of the heroes is insanely annoying. Perhaps there are unrealistic elements in the plot. All in all, worth reading, and perhaps even buying, but there are better ones to be had.

This is an excellent book. Strong characters, good reader connection. The book is well written, interesting, and stays true to the time period. The heroes are engaging and three-dimensional. These books are worth having on your shelf.

These are books that are phenomenal, above and beyond the call of duty. They have everything that exists in a four-star rating, plus that extra little something that just throws them over the top. These books are worth having in hard-cover.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY RATING

(or below)
There is very little to no sex in this book. What little that exists is not the least bit graphic. There is very little, if any, innuendo.

There is a small amount of sex in this book (one or two scenes). The scenes are loving and not incredibly graphic.

There is a moderate amount of sex and innuendo in this book. It is moderately graphic, but consensual and not violent.

There is a lot of sex and innuendo in this book. The sex is quite graphic, but not violent. The innuendo is quite coarse and descriptive.

This book is inappropriate for children. There is a good deal of graphic sex, some of which may be violent or non-consensual. The innuendo is very coarse and descriptive, and found quite frequently. The sex is the over-riding purpose of this book.

Historical Romance Novel Reviews

Friday 30 November 2007

"Web of Love" by Mary Balogh

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