The Legend of the Four Soldiers: Book 1
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Liked It “I read these books one right after the other after picking this one up for $2 on my kindle. I enjoyed the fairy tale that framed each story, and how those tales were passed from one heroine to the next. I am a sucker for stories with strong, smart heroines and tortured heroes. These stories...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “Book was just Ok for me. I had a real hard time liking Emmie” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“I read these books one right after the other after picking this one up for $2 on my kindle. I enjoyed the fairy tale that framed each story, and how those tales were passed from one heroine to the next. I am a sucker for stories with strong, smart heroines and tortured heroes. These stories also had interesting secondary characters too. The mystery of who betrayed the regiment kept me interested too.
LeAnn C wrote this review 12 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
”“Book was just Ok for me. I had a real hard time liking Emmie”
Debra V wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“To Taste Temptation is the first book in Elizabeth Hoyt's Legend of the Four Soldiers Series. To learn a little more about this series visit my Series Sunday [a href="http://romancerookie.blogspot.com/2009/06/series-sunday-legend-of-four-soldiers.html"]post[/a]. Samuel Hartly has made a name for himself by expanding his Uncle's trade business in Boston. He travels to London in the hopes of securing an exclusive partnership with a new pottery company founded by none other than Mr. Wedgwood. Secretly there is another purpose to Samuel's visit to London. He hopes to find the traitor that caused the slaughter at the battle of Spinners Fall during the French and Indian War. Samuel was a soldier that fought in that battle, which haunts him to this day. In London, he moves in next door to the widowed sister of one of his fallen comrades, Lady Emeline Gordon. Under the pretext of needing Emeline's help to instruct his sister in the proper ways of comportment, he insinuates himself into London Society where he can fox out the traitor.
Jill D wrote this review Wednesday, July 29 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
To Taste Temptation is a story about opposites attracting. Emeline and Samuel are about as different as the come. Emeline is from the upper crust of London Society, was married to an Earl. She at all times expects herself and others to act with the utmost decorum and propriety. She is flabbergasted and annoyed by Samuel the first time she meets him. She thinks him an uncouth barbarian who can barely contain his baser animal urges. Samuel goes out of his way to not conform to society's wishes. He could care less what anyone thinks of him. He feels a man is defined by what he accomplishes, not by how he dresses.
I hate to admit it, but I did not like Emeline. At first I could accept the way she acted, always arguing with Samuel - snipping and griping at him. As the story continued though, I was hoping to see more growth of her character. She had some issues that kept her from allowing people to get close to her - thus her prickly disposition, but towards the end I was hoping for some likability. I never got it. Samuel, on the other hand, was attracted to her sharp edges and that was the biggest reason for him to pursue her. He liked sparing with her and because of it Emeline felt she could be herself. So, in that aspect I felt the attraction was believable.
I really did like that Hoyt did not gloss over the atrocities of war and how they can affect men differently. She explored Samuel's emotional recovery after the effects of the war. This gave quite a bit of depth to Samuel. I would have liked to have seen more of this with Emeline's character. It's possible I would have been more sympathetic to her. Which brings me to the ending. It was rushed. Everything seemed to get wrapped up all to quickly. Emeline who had been so standoffish the whole book finally gets some clarity in the last few pages. It was all to pat for my tastes. ”
“ROR Summer 09 Challenge”
♥Randi wrote this review Monday, July 27 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I like this book! I like that the characters are smart, not simpering fragile women and stuck up pretty boy men, there is realy depth to the characters and the story line is easy to get into, i cant wait to read the rest in the series! ”
Hanna M wrote this review Tuesday, July 21 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Karla's pick.
Purchase at www.katybooks.com”
Katy Budget Books wrote this review Friday, July 17 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A very good start to a great series! Samuel Hartley comes to England with a mission: to uncover the truth about the massacre at Spinner's Falls. Samuel became a changed man after the horrifying massacre that left him and his British comrades scarred for life. He was a Colonial soldier serving the British army and he was guiding the regiment through the forest when they were attacked by their enemies. When the survivors were taken by the Huron allies of the French to their camp, Samuel escaped and ran for help. He believes that this action of him - leaving his comrades to suffer the tortures of the Indians is an act of cowardice. Six years after the massacre, he still couldn't shake the horrors that befell on the soldiers he left behind while he was running for help. He believes that by finding the traitor who told the French of their journey to Fort Edwards, he would finally get absolution.
babaylansamaynila wrote this review Thursday, May 14 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The psychological trauma that is still hunting Samuel felt very real. He couldn't stomach being around a lot of people because he can smell their sweat - a reminder of the smell of the soldiers who died at Spinner's Falls. He likes to run in his moccasins because it is the only time he could be free and think. He went to London despite its claustrophobic atmosphere, and being close to Lady Emeline Gordon is the perfect way to disguise his true intentions.
Lady Emeline Gordon is the quintessential aristocrat. She is a respectable widow and a mother of an adorable 8 year old baron. She has an impeccable manners that all the young girls she accompanies have successful society debuts. But her perfect world turns upside-down when Samuel came to hire her as his sister's chaperon to London's society. Emeline thinks Samuel as crude and without manners. But she has an undeniable and forbidden attraction towards him. This she felt despite the fact that she's spoken for to Jasper Renshaw, Viscount Vale. Jasper was with Samuel during the tragic Spinner's Fall massacre and has been a friend of Emeline since they were young. Although she likes Jasper a lot, she thinks of him only as a brother and her attraction with Samuel complicates her flawless reputation.
Can Samuel overcome the emotional and mental scars to finally open his heart to Emeline? Can Emeline risk her reputation so she can follow her heart?
I like this book! From the attraction that's killing both Samuel and Emeline; the intrigues behind Spinner's Falls; the London society's condescending manner towards Samuel, a Colonial and an outsider; the interaction between Samuel and Emeline's son, Danny; Emeline's sharp-tongued aunt; the growing attraction between Rebecca, Samuel's much younger sister and the Irish footman O'Hare; and yes, the hot and many love scenes... this book is totally great! Elizabeth Hoyt is defintely one of my favorite romance author because she writes great stories! She writes incredible love scenes but what really makes her a fantastic author for me is her ability to make her reader get hooked from the beginning until end.
The hunt for the traitor didn't overshadow the growing love between the two characters but the ending is a bit rush for my taste. Anyway, the traitor is still on the loose and the next book in the series, TO SEDUCE A SINNER will provide some clear answers to the tragic event for sure. After all, there are four books in this series so I have to read all of them to find out who the traitor is. ”
“What would have been a decent romance was marred by a shrewish, pretentious heroine who never really redeems herself in the end. Poor Samuel must either be insane or a masochist to have fallen in love with Emeline - their relationship consisted only of arguments or anger-induced sex. Because of that, the overall romance between the two was doubtful at best, and it was difficult to cheer for either when one wasn't worth the other's regard or esteem.”
Miss Maudlin wrote this review Sunday, May 3 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Elizabeth Hoyt is the alter ego of Julia Harper. I have read both contemporary books by Harper, so I had to branch out to Hoyt and I am glad I did.
Patty F wrote this review Monday, April 27 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
This book has many of the things I read for. I like a story line that emphasizes people, but includes interesting events. Having Lady Emeline meet a colonial - Samuel Hartley was an intriguing relationship for me. Then there was the battle that was haunting Samuel - that was a good link for the characters and a way for me to learn something new.
I like learning about the characters' history and seeing how this affects the present and future. I also enjoyed the fact that I saw the action through both protagonists' eyes.
I would be careful who I recommend this book to - you have to like sexy romance to enjoy this book.”
