Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare and Friday 56 Entry

Ever the bold adventures, Lucy Waltham has decided to go hunting for a husband. But first she needs some target practice. So she turns to her brother's best friend, Jeremy Trescott, the Earl of Kendall, to hone her seductive wiles on him before setting her sights on another man. But her practice kisses spark a smoldering passion – one that could send all her plans up in smoke.

Jeremy has an influential title, a vast fortune, and a painful past full of long-buried secrets. He keeps a safe distance from his own emotions, but to distract Lucy from her reckless scheming he must give his passions free rein. Their sensual battle of wills is as maddening as it is delicious, but the longer he succeeds in managing the headstrong temptress, the closer Jeremy comes to losing control. When scandal breaks, can he bring himself to abandon Lucy to her ruin? Or will he risk his heart, and claim her for his own?

MY THOUGHTS:

Tessa Dare's Goddess of the hunt is a first for me and I wasn't sure what to expect the first time I flip the page. I'm not used to reading historical and so I am mostly curious about certain aspects of the writing style and voice as well as the setting and pacing of the story.

Well, my time is not wasted. This novel is enjoyable and romantic. I simply adore the characters, specially Lucy and Jeremy. The romance between the hero and heroine creeps through my mind as I close my eyes to sleep. Scenes are unforgettably wild and funny at times. Lust and seductive? Yes, but there is more to it than that. It shows that you cannot dictate your heart to acquire happiness and contentment, no matter how much you fight against it. And love conquers in many ways. This novel simply shows a story of unexpected love and the emotional battle to fight against it, only to find love in each others arms.

The writing is exquisite and the plot is interesting, enough to keep me going from one chapter to the next.

When I read certain novels, I can't help but compare certain characters. I think of Jeremy as Hugh Jackman from the movie “Kate and Leopold”, with his aristocratic feature, sexy but powerful voice. Tessa Dare creates such believable characters that anyone can relate and cherish. Both Jeremy and Lucy are not perfect at all and that makes them intriguing. They both have weaknesses and personal daemons to fight with. They are funny and annoying and lovable and hateful. They fail and they conquer. They cry and laugh. They make me fall in love and feel the wanting, the craving, the needing – a web of emotions all tangled in one story.

I dare you to read this novel!

Thanks to Christine from The happily ever after blog, for lending me this book. I look forward to reading more of this genre.

SOURCE: Paperback, borrowed

RELEASE DATE: August, 2009

*     *     *

I am also including this post for my Friday 56 entry today from Tonya's blog. Kinda like killing two birds with one stone ;-).

Here's the rule:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Below is the fifth sentence from Page 56 of Goddess of the Hunt novel:

She reached toward the chessboard, and he caught her hand in his.

Ahem. That's very romantic, isn't it? I know -- I'm romantic at heart in it's simplest form. Really, you've got to believe me!

~