Elizabeth Hoyt: Duke of desire

Elizabeth Hoytin historiallinen viihderomaani on sarjassaan kahdestoista, ja selvästi näkyy että samaa tarinaa on pyöritetty siinä määrin moneen kertaan että uskottavuuden rajat ovat aikoja sitten unohtuneet: Duke of desire (Piatkus, 2017; ISBN 978-0-349-41237-5).



Hoyt osaa kyllä kirjoittaa, mutta liika on aina liikaa.

A lady of light. Refined, kind, and intelligent, Lady Iris Jordan finds herself the unlikely target of a diabolical kidnapping. Her captors are the notoriously evil Lords of Chaos. When one of the masked - and nude! - Lords spirits her away to his carriage, she shoots him... only to find she may have been a trifle hasty.

A duke in deepest darkness. Cynical, scarred, and brooding, Raphael de Chartres, the Duke of Dyemore, has made it his personal mission to infiltrate the Lords of Chaos and destroy them. Rescuing Lady Jordan was never in his plans. But now with the Lords out to kill them both, he has but one choice: marry the lady in order to keep her safe.

Caught in a web of danger and desire, much to Raphael's irritation, Iris insists on being the sort of duchess who involves herself in his life - and bed. Soon he's drawn both to her quick wit and firey passion. But when Iris discovers that Raphael's past may be even more dangerous than the present, she falters. Is their love strong enough to withstand not only the Lords of Chaos but also Raphael's own demons?

Elizabeth Hoyt: The leopard prince

Elizabeth Hoyt tarjoaa roolileikkejä ja sanailua historiallisessa viihderomaanissa, jossa perijätär ei halua naimisiin: The leopard prince (Grand Central, 2010; ISBN 978-0-446-61848-9).



Hoyt on taitava kirjoittaja, ja vaikka teos on höttöä, on se mukavan humoristinen ja kujeileva.

Legally Blonde meets Cinderella in this role reversal of a ditzy heiress who's against marriage - but who desperately wants an affair.

Elizabeth Hoyt: To taste temptation

Elizabeth Hoytin historiallinen viihderomaani aloittaa kirjasarjan, jossa riittää kähmintää ja salaliittoja, sekä tietysti monipolvisia ihmissuhdekiemuroita: To taste temptation (Hachette Book Group, 2008; ISBN 9780446406918).



Romaani oli höttöinen, mutta ei ihan niin pahasti kuin alunperin kuvittelin. Kirjoittajalla on taitoa kuvata ihmisiä pintaa syvemmältäkin, vaikka sarjatuotannon makua olikin paketoitu mukaan reippaanlaisesti.

The ton loves nothing more than a good scandal, and they're giddy with the appearance of wealthy Samuel Hartley. Not only is he self-made, American, and in the habit of wearing moccasins, but he is also notorious for fleeing a battle in which several English gentlemen lost their lives.

What the ton doesn't know, though, is that Samuel is in London because of this massacre. He believes his regiment was given up to the enemy and won't rest until he finds the traitor.

Lady Emeline Gordon is captivated with Samuel. Not only does he defy convention with his unusual dress, his sensual smile, and his forthright manner, but he survived the battle that killed her beloved brother. Samuel suspects that the person responsible for her brother's death is Jasper Renshaw, Viscount Vale, a family friend since childhood - and Emeline's fiance.

Despite Emeline's belief in Vale's innocence and her refusal to break off her betrothal, she and Samuel begin a passionate affair. But can their relationship survive the fallout from Samuel's investigation?

Elizabeth Hoyt: To desire a devil

Luettuani Elizabeth Hoytin romaanin To Beguile a Beast päätin lainata kirjasarjan seuraavankin teoksen, jonka tosin olin jo aiemminkin lukenut: To desire a devil (Hachette Book Group, 2009; ISBN 9780446406949).



Saman reseptin toistamista tämä romaani epäilemättä on, Kaunotar ja hirviö -tyylilajissa. No, tulipahan muistutettua mieleen miten tämä kirjasarja saatiin päätökseen.

Reynaud St. Aubyn has spent the last seven years in hellish captivity. Now half mad with fever he bursts into his ancestral home and demands his due. Can this wild-looking man truly be the last earl's heir, thought murdered by Indians years ago?

Beatrice Corning, the niece of the present earl, is a proper English miss. But she has a secret: No real man has ever excited her more than the handsome youth in the portrait in her uncle's home. Suddenly, that very man is here, in the flesh-and luring her into his bed.

Only Beatrice can see past Reynaud's savagery to the noble man inside. For his part, Reynaud is drawn to this lovely lady, even as he is suspicious of her loyalty to her uncle. But can Beatrice's love tame a man who will stop at nothing to regain his title - even if it means sacrificing her innocence?

Elizabeth Hoyt: To beguile a beast

Elizabeth Hoyt tarjoaa romaanin jossa on monenmoista kähmintää ja salaisuutta, siinä määrin että ainekset olisivat riittäneet useampaankin historialliseen viihderomaaniin: To beguile a beast (Hachette, 2009; ISBN 9780446406932).



Romaanissa on Kaunotar ja hirviö -teemaa, samaan tyyliin kuin Hoytin romaanissa Darling beast, mutta juonielementtejä on kasattu päällekkäin siinä määrin paljon että suorastaan ähky iski. Parempaankin Hoyt on kirjoittajana pystynyt.

Sir Alistair Munroe is a naturalist knighted for his service to the crown during the French and Indian War - a war that left him horribly maimed. Because of his scars he lives a near solitary existence in a crumbling Scottish castle. Until a dark and stormy night when he opens the door to a buxom beauty claiming to be his new housekeeper.

Helen Fitzwilliam has led a life full of mistakes, not least among them spending the last ten years as mistress to the Duke of Lister, a man without any kindness. But when the duke takes a new, younger mistress, Helen makes a decision she knows isn't a mistake. She leaves the duke, taking with her their two young children. Knowing that Lister hates to give up anything--even a mistress he's cast aside--Helen flees to Scotland and the home of a man she's never met.

These two wounded souls find an undeniable passion, and love, in each others arms, but the bliss of their relationship isn't to last. The Duke steals his children away from Helen, forcing her to reveal her true past to Alistair, and a friend from Alistair's army past is back from the dead--and quite possibly involved in the betrayal that lead to the massacre of their regiment.

Elizabeth Hoyt: Once and always

Elizabeth Hoyt on kirjoittanut nimimerkillä Julia Harper romanttisen jännärin, jossa venäläiset gangsterit ryntäävät amerikkalaiseen pikkukaupunkiin pahat mielessään: Once and always (Piatkus, 2015; ISBN 978-0-349-40857-6).



Kirjassa on ammuskelua ja välienselvittelyä riittävästi vaativampaankin makuun, ja makeaa siirappia mausteena. En ihan ymmärtänyt millaiselle lukijalle teos on kirjoitettu, kaikkea tuntui olevan liialti, myös lunta.

Small town cop Sam West certainly doesn't mind a routine traffic stop: speeding ticket, stern warning, and sayonara. With a whopper of a blizzard closing in, that's all he has time for.

But the lawbreaker he pulls over is anything but typical. From her mile-long legs to her razor-sharp wit, Maisa Bradley is like nothing Coot Lake, Minnesota, has ever seen ... and she's about to take Sam on the ride of his life.

Whoever said blood is thicker than water probably wasn't related to a former Russian mobster. But an innocent mix-up and rumours of stolen diamonds soon have the Russian mob taking an unusual interest in the sleepy little town - and Maisa facing heated scrutiny from a certain tall, dark, and handsome deputy. Sam's dazzling blue eyes beg her to reveal all her secrets, but how much should she tell? Getting snowed in with the sexiest cop in the frozen north may not be the worst way to decide.

Elizabeth Hoyt: Dearest Rogue

Elizabeth Hoyt naittaa historiallisessa viihderomaanissaan lähestulkoon sokean aatelisnaisen ja sodassa rampautuneen sotilaan, ja yllätyksiä piisaa niin kuin arvata saattaa: Dearest Rogue (Piatkus, 2015; ISBN 978-0-349-40650-3).



Romaani on melkolailla rutiininomainen, mutta tälläkin kertaa Hoyt saa tekstin rullaamaan eteenpäin sen enempää kipuilematta.

Lady Phoebe Batten is pretty, vivacious, and yearning for a social life befitting the sister of a powerful duke. But because she is almost completely blind, her overprotective brother insists that she have an armed bodyguard by her side at all times - the very irritating Captain Trevillion.

Captain James Trevillion is proud, brooding, and cursed with a leg injury from his service in the King's dragoons. Yet he can still shoot and ride like the devil, so watching over the distracting Lady Phoebe should be no problem at all - until she's targeted by kidnappers.

Caught in a deadly web of deceit, James must risk life and limb to save his charge from the lowest of cads - one who would force Lady Phoebe into a loveless marriage. But while they're confined to close quarters for her safekeeping, Phoebe begins to see the tender man beneath the soldier's hard exterior ... and the possibility of a life - and love - she never imagined possible.

Elizabeth Hoyt: Darling beast

Elizabeth Hoytin historiallisessa viihderomaanissa on Kaunotar ja hirviö -juonenkuviota sekä monenlaista muuta kähmintää riittämiin, jopa niin että tarina on vähällä revetä liitoksistaan: Darling beast (Piatkus, 2014; ISBN 978-0-349-40649-7).



Kohtalaisen taitavasti kirjailija tarinansa saa kuitenkin pidettyä koossa. Puutarhurin ja näyttelijän salaisuudet paljastuvat vähitellen, ja onnellista loppua tässä tietysti havitellaan.

Falsely accused of murder and mute from a near-fatal beating, Apollo Greaves, Viscount Kilbourne has escaped from Bedlam. With the Crown's soldiers at his heels, he finds refuge in the ruins of a pleasure garden, toiling as a simple gardener. But when a vivacious young woman moves in, he's quickly driven to distraction.

London's premier actress, Lily Stump, is down on her luck when she's forced to move into a scorched theatre with her maid and small son. But she and her tiny family aren't the only inhabitants-a silent, hulking beast of a man also calls the charred ruins home. Yet when she catches him reading her plays, Lily realizes there's more to this man than meets the eye.

Though scorching passion draws them together, Apollo knows that Lily is keeping secrets. When his past catches up with him, he's forced to make a choice: his love for Lily ... or the explosive truth that will set him free.

Elizabeth Hoyt: Duke of midnight

Elizabeth Hoyt jatkaa Maiden Lane -romaanisarjaansa teoksella, jossa päähenkilöillä on kummallakin melkoinen taakka kannattavanaan, toinen etsii vanhempiensa murhaajaa ja toinen haluaa saada veljensä vapautettua vankilasta: Duke of midnight (Piatkus, 2014; ISBN 978-0-7499-5817-6).



Juonittelua ja käänteitä riittää kahdenkin historiallisen viihderomaanin tarpeisiin, mutta melko näppärästi Hoyt tarinaansa pyörittää. Kirjasarjan aiemmista teoksista tuttujen juonikuvioiden toistoa tässä teoksessa silti on.

Twenty years ago Maximus Batten witnessed the brutal murders of his parents. Now the autocratic Duke of Wakefield, he spends his days ruling Parliament. But by night, disguised as the Ghost of St. Giles, he prowls the grim alleys of St. Giles, ever on the hunt for the murderer. One night he finds a fiery woman who meets him toe-to-toe—and won't back down.

Artemis Greaves toils as a lady's companion, but hiding beneath the plain brown serge of her dress is the heart of a huntress. When the Ghost of St. Giles rescues her from footpads, she recognizes a kindred spirit-and is intrigued. She's even more intrigued when she realizes who exactly the notorious Ghost is by day.

Artemis makes a bold move: she demands that Maximus use his influence to free her imprisoned brother-or she will expose him as the Ghost. But blackmailing a powerful duke isn't without risks. Now that she has the tiger by the tail, can she withstand his ire-or the temptation of his embrace?

Elizabeth Hoyt: Lord of darkness

Elizabeth Hoytin historiallinen viihderomaanisarja Maiden Lane kertoo Lontoon köyhälistön surkeudesta yläluokan korean elämän vastapainona, ja vaikka romaaneissa on kovinkin samantyyppisen tarinan toistoa, onnistuu kirjailija löytämään jotain uuttakin: Lord of darkness (Piatkus, 2013; ISBN 978-0-7499-5816-9).



Juonittelua riittää tässäkin romaanissa, eikä elämä ole kovinkaan auvoista, mutta näppärästi Hoyt tarinaansa pyörittää, onnellista loppua aavistuttaen.

Since the death of his first wife, Godric St John has devoted his nights to protecting the innocent of London disguised as the notorious Ghost of St Giles. When Lord Griffin Reading discovers Godrics secret double life he presents him with an offer he cant refuse, and Godric finds himself married to a young, and pregnant, stranger.

Elizabeth Hoyt: Duke of sin

Elizabeth Hoyt on kirjoittanut siinä määrin paljon historiallisia viihderomaaneja, että muistikuvat siitä mitä on tullut luettua ja mitä ei menevät sekaisin. Tajusin romaania vähän aikaa luettuani, että tämähän on tuttu, mutta jatkoin silti lukemista: Duke of sin (Piatkus, 2016; ISBN 978-0-349-41234-4).



Romaanin miespuolinen päähenkilö on melkomoinen pahis, mutta Hoyt onnistuu paitsi pitämään tyylilajin viihteellisenä myös pitämään jonkinlaista jännitystä yllä, vaikka rakkausromaanin lopputulos onkin alusta lähtien epäilemättä melkolailla selvä.

Valentine Napier, the Duke of Montgomery, is the man London whispers about in boudoirs and back alleys. A notorious rake and blackmailer, Montgomery has returned from exile, intent on seeking revenge on those who have wronged him. But what he finds in his own bedroom may lay waste to all his plans.

Elizabeth Hoyt: To desire a devil

Elizabeth Hoytin historiallinen viihderomaani on lähtökohdallaan melkomoisen uskomaton, sillä päähenkilö on intiaanien vangiksi ottama englantilainen sotilas, joka lopulta on palannut kotimaahan perintöään vaatimaan: To desire a devil (Hachette Book Group, 2009; ISBN 9780446406949).



Romaanissa on kohtalaisesti huumoria, lähtien siitä että sotatrauma saa entisen sotilaan kuvittelemaan kaikenlaista, eikä ulkomailta palannut ja kuolleeksi julistettu mies ole ihan heti valmis kotiutumaan ja ottamaan vastuun perinnöstään. Ja juonittelua, sitä tässä romaanissa riittää.

Reynaud St. Aubyn has spent the last seven years in hellish captivity. Now half mad with fever he bursts into his ancestral home and demands his due. Can this wild-looking man truly be the last earl's heir, thought murdered by Indians years ago?

Beatrice Corning, the niece of the present earl, is a proper English miss. But she has a secret: No real man has ever excited her more than the handsome youth in the portrait in her uncle's home. Suddenly, that very man is here, in the flesh—and luring her into his bed.

Only Beatrice can see past Reynaud's savagery to the noble man inside. For his part, Reynaud is drawn to this lovely lady, even as he is suspicious of her loyalty to her uncle. But can Beatrice's love tame a man who will stop at nothing to regain his title—even if it means sacrificing her innocence?

Elizabeth Hoyt: Sweetest scoundrel ja Duke of sin

Elizabeth Hoytin romaanit Sweetest scoundrel ja Duke of sin ovat romaanisarjan Maiden Lane yhdeksäs ja kymmenes teos. Tarinat toistavat samankaltaisia juonenkulkuja, ja moni kirjasarjan aiempien teosten hahmoista esiintyy sivuroolissa näissä teoksissa. Hoyt osaa kyllä kirjoittaa, mutta erityisen omaperäisiksi näitä viihdeteoksia ei voi sanoa.

Sweetest scoundrel (Piatkus, 2015; ISBN 978-0-349-40652-7).

Prim, proper, and thrifty, Eve Dinwoody is all business when it comes to protecting her brother's investment. But when she agrees to control the purse strings of London's premier pleasure garden, Harte's Folly, she finds herself butting heads with an infuriating scoundrel who can't be controlled.

Bawdy and bold, Asa Makepeace doesn't have time for a penny-pinching prude like Eve. As the garden's larger-than-life owner, he's already dealing with self-centered sopranos and temperamental tenors. He's not about to let an aristocratic woman boss him around ...no matter how enticing she is.

In spite of her lack of theatrical experience - and her fiery clashes with Asa - Eve is determined to turn Harte's Folly into a smashing success. But the harder she tries to manage the stubborn rake, the harder it is to ignore his seductive charm and raw magnetism. There's no denying the smoldering fire between them-and trying to put it out would be the greatest folly of all.

Duke of sin (Piatkus, 2016; ISBN 978-0-349-41234-4)

Valentine Napier, the Duke of Montgomery, is the man London whispers about in boudoirs and back alleys. A notorious rake and blackmailer, Montgomery has returned from exile, intent on seeking revenge on those who have wronged him. But what he finds in his own bedroom may lay waste to all his plans.

Elizabeth Hoyt: Notorious pleasures, Scandalous desires ja Thief of shadows

Elizabeth Hoytin viihteellisessä Maiden Lane -romaanisarjassa on ilmestynyt toistakymmentä teosta, jotka limittyvät löyhästi toisiinsa henkilöhahmojen ja tapahtumapaikkojen osalta. Hoyt osaa kirjoittaa sujuvasti, mutta melkoisen viihteellisiä ovat romaanien juonenkulut, ja oikeastaan voisi sanoa supersankarityyppisiksi joitakin kirjojen juonenkäänteistä.

Notorious pleasures (Piatkus, 2011; ISBN 978-0-7499-5445-1)

Their lives were perfect ...until they met each other.

Lady Hero Batten is perfect, well-mannered and beautiful with an impeccable pedigree. After years of waiting for a gentleman to sweep her off her feet, she has decided to do her duty and settle for a proper society marriage to Thomas Remmington, the Marquess of Mandeville. True, the marquis is a trifle dull and lacks a sense of humour, but he is handsome and rich. Griffin Remmington, Lord Greyson, the Marquess' younger brother, is not at all perfect. In fact, some have called him the most notorious rake in London.

When Griffin meets Hero he thinks that she is much too intelligent for society, let alone his brother. Their duel of words soon sparks a fire in them both, despite the fact that Hero's marriage to Thomas is drawing ever nearer.

Scandalous desires (Piatkus, 2011; ISBN 978-0-7499-5450-5)

Can a pirate learn that the only true treasure lies in a woman's heart?

Widowed Silence Hollingbrook is impoverished, lovely, and kind - and nine months ago she made a terrible mistake. She went to a river pirate for help in saving her husband and in the process made a bargain at the cost of her marriage. That night wounded her so terribly that Silence hides in the foundling home she runs with her brother. Except now that same river pirate is back ... and he's asking for her help.

'Charming' Mickey O'Connor is the most ruthless river pirate in London. Devastatingly handsome and fearsomely intelligent, he clawed his way up through London's criminal underworld. Mickey has no use for tender emotions like compassion and love, and he sees people as pawns to be manipulated. And yet he's never been able to forget the naive captain's wife who came to him when she was most in need.

Thief of shadows (Piatkus, 2012; ISBN 978-0-7499-5814-5)

When society widow, Lady Isabel Beckinhall, becomes involved with the Home for Unfortunate Infants and Foundling Children, she soon clashes with its manager, Winter Makepeace, whom she finds severely monastic, terribly solemn ... and quite distractingly intriguing.

And Winter does have a secret: at night he transforms into the masked avenger, the Ghost of St Giles. After the infamous Ghost of St Giles is wounded while rescuing a notorious pirate from the gallows, Isabel has no choice but to hide him from a ravenous mob, though doesn't discover his identity.

Winter is haunted by this glimpse of the tender - and sensuous - side of Lady Beckinhall, though he knows that they are too far apart socially to ever be together. But when a relentless dragoon captain begins hunting the Ghost of St Giles, Winter must decide if he can trust his secret, his life - and his heart - to Isabel's hands.

Elizabeth Hoyt: The serpent prince

Elizabeth Hoyt tarjoilee 1700-luvun Englantiin sijoitetun viihderomaanin, jossa on kaksintaisteluja ja muuta mäiskettä riittämiin: The serpent prince (Grand Central, 2012; ISBN 978-1-4555-1359-8).



Romaanin asetelma on melkoisen stereotyyppinen: maaseudulla asuva hiljaiseen elämään tottunut neito ja koreasti pukeutuva kaupungissa viihtyvä aatelismies tutustuvat miehen veljen kuoleman jälkimainingeissa. Salaliittoon vihjataan samaan aikaan kun ihmissuhdekuvioita syvennetään. Kirjailija sinänsä osaa kirjoittaa, mutta mitenkään syvälliseksi ei tätä viihdepläjäystä voi sanoa.

Country bred Lucy Craddock-Hayes is content with her quiet life. Until the day she trips over an unconscious man - a naked unconscious man - and loses her innocence forever.

Viscount Simon Iddesleigh was nearly beaten to death by his enemies. Now he's hell-bent on vengeance. But as Lucy nurses him back to health, her honesty startles his jaded sensibilities - even as it ignites a desire that threatens to consume them both.

Charmed by Simon's sly wit, urbane manners, and even his red-heeled shoes, Lucy falls hard and fast for him. Yet as his honor keeps him from ravishing her, his revenge sends his attackers to her door. As Simon wages war on his foes, Lucy wages her own war for his soul using the only weapon she has - her love.

Elizabeth Hoyt: Wicked intentions

Elizabeth Hoytin teos lojui palautettujen kirjojen hyllyssä, ja niinpä tartuin tähän 1700-luvun Englantiin sijoittuvaan viihderomaaniin: Wicked intentions (Grand Central, 2010; ISBN 978-0-446-55894-5).



Kirja kertoo köyhien ihmisten elämästä, katselukulmana yläluokkaiset ihmiset jotka yrittävät tehdä hyvää vähempiosaisille. Romantiikkaa on viihdekirjalle varmasti riittävä määrä, samaten käänteitä joiden puitteissa päähenkilöt aprikoivat toistensa todellisia tarkoitusperiä.

Jollain lailla rikkonaisista ihmisistä tässä kirjassa on kyse, ja ehkä myös ehjäksi kasvamisesta. Toki helppolukuisuus ja viihteellisyys on se mihin kirjoittaja on panostanut ja jotakuinkin onnistunutkin.

Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, is searching for a savage killer in St. Giles, London's most notorious slum. Widowed Temperance Dews knows St. Giles like the back of her hand - she's spent a lifetime caring for its inhabitants at the foundling home her family established. Now that home is at risk.

Caire makes a simple offer - in return for Temperance's help navigating the perilous alleys of St. Giles, he will introduce her to London's high society so that she can find a benefactor for the home. But Temperance may not be the innocent she seems, and what begins as cold calculation soon falls prey to a passion that neither can control - one that may well destroy them both. A bargain neither could refuse.