4 Hearts from TRS!: (2010-04-22)
Ms. Carolyn Jewel was a new author to me. I was impressed with her work. The book was a little slow in the beginning. However, it drew me into the storyline about a quarter of the way into the book. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. This story was full of suspense. I usually don't prefer this much tension. However, it worked with the plot and her writing style.
The two main characters were so vulnerable. They were both so hurt from past happenings that they were afraid to trust. Their actions were so believable. It was impossible for me to remain unaffected when the two were so plagued with problems. There were many additional cast members used in this book. From the "enemies" to those who supported Sabine and Foye's interest in each other, we found multiple tidbits which made the book a stand-up success.
I recommend this book to others. Even though (to me) it started out a little slow, the storyline changed my mind. Good job, Ms. Jewel. - Brenda Talley
Nearly perfect: (2009-11-07)
Carolyn Jewel's Indiscreet follows Edward Marrack, the Marquess of Foye, and Sabine Goddard through the sands of Turkey and Syria during the early Regency. Foye became aware of Sabine a year prior to the start of the story, via a boast by his friend, the Earl of Crosshaven, that he had seduced Miss Goddard. As the novel opens, Foye meets Sabine and her uncle on their travels in Turkey.
Foye is surprised upon meeting Sabine. Instead of a shattered girl mourning her lost reputation, he finds a strikingly intelligent woman fiercely loyal to the uncle who raised her. Sabine also finds Foye contrary to expectation. Where she supposed him to be arrogant and waits for him to proposition her on account of her low status and reputation, she instead discovers he knows Crosshaven lied and that he is drawn, rather than repelled, by her intelligence.
Despite a fifteen year age difference and a large height discrepancy, Jewel created a romance between two equals. Their banter is smart and mature, and neither ever seems to have the upper hand on the other. Even when Foye must rescue Sabine from a deceptive pasha, the rescue depends on her competence at behaving as a boy. Yes, Foye is the rescuer, but he trusts her with so much responsibility that still they remain equals. Sabine is neither too feisty, nor is she meek. She is simply capable.
Jewel also breathed fresh air into the cross-dressing mechanic. Rather than treat it as farce, she spent some time exploring Sabine's thoughts on gender and privilege. We get to see her worry about all the tiny things that could give her away, from not knowing how to mount astride a horse to realizing she had to schlep her own belongings.
As much as I enjoyed the intense rescue, I did feel that the romance was a bit short. The hero and heroine admitted their love and agreed to marry in the first third of the novel. All that separated them from their HEA was the resolution of the rescue plot. A bit more holdout, with more character and emotional development taking place during the journey, would have added a fifth star in my mind.
One Of the Best Heroes I've Read This Year: (2009-10-16)
After having read Scandal by Carolyn Jewel, I was beyond excited to hear that she was coming out with Indiscreet.
When it comes to her tales, it's not just the language the characters speak, or the scenery that draw you in. Every aspect of her stories, down to the narrative, literally makes you feel as if you are transported back in time.
*****
Wrongfully thought to have had an indiscretion with a member of peerage, Sabine Godard's once immaculate reputation is left in tatters. Disgraced by his niece's behavior, Sabine and her uncle depart from England.
Years pass, and now living many miles away from London's gossip, Sabine feels safe in the belief that the company she keeps now is not the least bit aware of the scandal she left behind. She is comfortable until one day, the Marquee of Foye walks into the room.
Edward, the Marquee of Foye is left astonished that off all the people he should run in to miles away from home, Sabine Godard is sitting mere feet away. Although never formally introduced, Edward and Sabine both share an intimate connection. Both were wronged by the same man, the Earl of Crosshaven.
With the only woman he had ever loved stolen away from beneath his nose, Edward has sworn never marry. His attraction to Sabine is immediate, but he does his best to ignore it. Having started her life anew, the last thing she needs is more unwelcome scandal. Yet, with each day that passes, and the more time he spends in Sabine's presence, the more difficult it becomes to deny his affections for her.
What had been a mutual respect and understanding of each other soon grows in to a passionate and all consuming love affair. But can both Edward and Sabine find a way to forget the past and finally find true love within each other's arms?
*****
First of all, Carolyn Jewel knows how to pen my kind of hero!! Edward, the Marquees of Foye was so not perfect, that he was perfect. To me, he was a MAN. Unbelievably tall, masculine beyond belief, with a head of unruly hair and gorgeous blue eyes framed by thick dark lashes...*drooling*
Jewel goes to great lengths to make the reader understand that Foye would be considered by most women as anything but attractive. In my eyes, that just made him all the more attractive. I want my heroes brawny, strong, hell...even beastly for all I care, so long as they are gentle as a kitten when it comes to their woman. The heroine has to be the one person who can bring him to his knees.
I also liked Jewel's heroine, Sabine, a lot. I think mostly because she was able to truly see Edward. In her eyes, he was absolutely beautiful. Sabine was intelligent, and far from a push over. I thought she suited Edward perfectly.
The dialogue in this tale is phenomenal. This author can pen some amazing dialogue between her characters.
The plot...that's where I was left a teeny bit disappointed. The actual romance--IMO--took place the first half of the book. I felt, honestly, that if it wasn't for the setting of the story, the conclusion could have come much earlier on.
I think I wanted a little bit more than what I got, but because I was so completely besotted by the hero and thoroughly enjoyed the heroine, I was willing to look beyond it. I just kind of wished she would have saved such wonderful characters for a different plot line.
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