Tender Rebel: Johanna Lindsey / Roslynn Chadwick & Anthony Malory
First Avon Books printing June 1988 – ISBN: 0-38075086-4
Historical Romance – Regency Era – England
This is where I puddle… Anthony Malory, an all-out charm-your-panties-off rake that dreams can’t even come up with. If I could make any of my heroes come to life, Anthony Malory would be in my living room right now, threatening to seduce me ruthlessly if I didn’t take my fingers off this keyboard. How can you not love this Malory? Debonair, charming, handsome and funny to boot… it’s a hit that just can’t miss.
And Roslynn is also a delight. Gotta love her little quirks like carrying weaponry and slipping into a cute little Scottish brogue whenever Anthony annoyed the hell out of her, which was pretty often but who cares, it’s Anthony Malory for crying out loud… let him annoy you… annoyance leads to laughter and somehow, you end up making out like a wild woman with a handsome hunk of male and frankly… what’s wrong with that?
This was one of my favorite books. The addition of James and Jeremy to the mix just made me die of laughter. It’s a delicious passionate romp and funny to boot. It’s a great story with a great heroine who doesn’t just let life happen to her but takes action in a truthful and frank manner. Regina could take some lessons from her.
Gentle Rogue: Johanna Lindsey / Georgina “George” Anderson & James “Captain Hawke” Malory
First Avon printing December 1990 – ISBN: 0-380-75302-2
Historical Romance – Regency Era – England
If I puddle for Anthony, for James, I evaporate. He’s my perfect hero: focused, scathingly witty with a twisted sense of humor. And his body… I love my men incredibly strong and powerful and being a broad-shouldered gal myself, I love a guy with broader shoulders and James fits the bill and the whole gentleman pirate thing… come on… who wouldn’t die for that… I most definitely do.
Georgina is a hoot too. She’s stubborn, willful and just right, you know? There’s a scene when she tells James he’s making her ill, not realizing she’s telling him he’s turning her on and yet, she knows all about how her brothers seduce women into their beds. She’s adorably innocent and yet, so worldly about men.
This is my first English-language Lindsey and I have to say, definitely one of my favorite… possibly my favorite Lindsey. I jumped head first into the middle of the Malory saga and loved them all so much that I had to walk, no run to the bookstore and buy up the rest of the family’s story. Of course I had to wait for the rest of the books but it was great. James and George made me a fan of Johanna’s work and for that, you gotta love them… just gotta love them.
The Magic of You: Johanna Lindsey / Amy Malory & Warren Anderson
First Avon printing June 1993 – ISBN: 0-380-75629-3
Historical Romance – Regency Era – England
Warren is another one of my favorites… actually, I find him somewhere along the middle of the spectrum between Anthony and James… tall, broad-shouldered and stubborn like a bull. Maybe a little too stubborn at times but he manages to make it work. And his passion for Amy, as much as he fights it, is one of his most endearing traits.
While a lot of people compare Amy to Regina because of their similar looks and the tender affection they both receive from their uncles but I’m not feeling that at all. I find Amy to be so much more genuine and adorably blunt with Warren that I can’t help loving her. She’s a female cad in her own way, definitely her uncles’ niece and her close relationship to Jeremy only served to make me love her all the more.
This is a great love story, follows, in my opinion, in the footsteps of the James and George story by venturing in the high seas and Amy trading her skirts for tight breeches. My favorite scene has to be when Amy joins Warren on the bridge while he’s facing the storm. It’s a marvelous show of love and tenderness. Breaking through Warren’s hard shell is so wonderful for Amy and it made this book a joy.
Say You Love Me: Johanna Lindsey / Kelsey Langton & Derek Malory
First Avon printing December 1997 – ISBN: 0-380-72571-1
Historical Romance – Regency Era – England
Derek is a great hero, follows the basic mold of the hero but… he’s not as captivating as his uncles. He truly is Jason’s son, a rake yes but much more careful and discreet than James and Anthony and in my opinion a little boring. He has a marvelous heart and he proves it in this story and yet, I can honestly he left me a little cold.
Kelsey is… a little blah for me. I think it’s the beginning of the story that did her in for me. She starts off as a little sheep, hurrying to agree to her uncle’s plan and it’s only after all’s said and done that she starts showing a little fire. Had she started speaking her mind and being forceful from the get-go then she wouldn’t have gotten herself into all this trouble. But then again, that would have killed the whole premise of the book.
The story has a lot of merit and it introduces one of the most twisted villains in Lindsey’s novel. Lord Ashford, I have to say was the most complex character in this story. For a fan of police shows and documentaries like me, he was a marvelously complete study into insanity. Strange to say but I think I liked reading about Ashford more than anything else.
A Loving Scoundrel: Johanna Lindsey / Danette Hilary & Jeremy Malory
First Pocket Star paperback printing: May 2005 – ISBN: 0-7434-5630-0
Historical Romance – Regency Era – England
Smack dab between Anthony and James Malory comes Jeremy, nephew of the first and son of the latter and yet a study of both. He’s as passionate and rakish as his predecessors and more charming than both of them put together. He reminds me of the great Lindsey heroes of yore and definitely one of her best.
Danny rocked my world. She was just so perfect and she happens to be one of my favorite heroines. Her attitude about everything reminds me of today’s women and how we often take the bulls by the horn. Jeremy had to work his way into her bed and that made me love her more. She had clear goals about what she wanted out of her life and she never faltered, even going as far as walking away from a Malory. Insane? Yes… but what a heroine!
Definitely number three in my favorite Malory novels, behind James and Anthony… although I’m sure as I reread this story, Anthony will had to share number 2 with his nephew. It’s a great story that I’ll pick up again with a great deal of pleasure. I love this story… and if I hadn’t finished it a week ago, I’d pick it up again.