Review -TAKEN: THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE: PART THREE by Jenn LeBlanc

Taken: The Rake and the Recluse: Part Three
by Jenn LeBlanc
Publisher: Iris Photo
Release Date: January 17, 2012
Source: Review copy from Author

A woman out of time.
A man stifled by propriety.
A nemesis determined to take her away.
A brother to the rescue.

How will a powerful Duke deal with a woman who doesn't know her place? How will a woman used to the 21st century survive in time where she is considered property?

THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE Part THREE brings Francine and Gideon closer than they ever imagined possible, until the unimaginable tears them apart. What will Gideon do if he loses her, this time, forever? This is the third installment of the completely revised novel, with all new material.

Francine Larrabee woke up on the wrong side of the century. She was fairly certain she went to sleep in her own comfy bed, but she doesn’t quite seem to be there now. Only adding to her problems is that she has no voice, is constantly being glowered at by a large, stunning man who is obsessed with propriety, and she is apparently betrothed to another horrid little man, determined to ruin her, and any other girls that get in his way.
How does she find herself in the past, when she couldn’t even find herself in her present? How does a self sufficient businesswoman survive in a time when women were still considered property for the whole of their lives and what is she going to do with this man who draws her to him so fiercely.

**This serial novel needs to read in order. This review may contain spoilers.**

Taken is part three in The Rake and the Recluse serial novel. This part begins with a great love scene between Gideon and Francine that was full of sensuality. I was surprised by Francine’s boldness and even more shocked by Gideon’s act of self-control in the midst of such wicked temptation. This scene was sexual tension written to perfection.

The romance intensifies as Gideon continues to court Francine and plans are made for her coming out ball. The two get to know each other better and fall deeper in love with one another. I was happy when Francine finally gets her voice back and with it returns her 21st century feistiness. 

The repulsive villain, Hepplewort returns in this episode and stirs up more trouble. And a few new characters are introduced as well. You can infer from the title that someone is taken during this part. Taking into consideration the events that lead up to the kidnapping, I found it hard to believe how the heroine, Francine was taken so easily. I wanted to slap the characters for letting it happen.

The pictures in Taken: The Rake and the Recluse: Part Three have been my favorite so far in this serial novel. As I stated in my review of Found I suspected the photos would get a bit sexier and I was not wrong. There were several bare chest photos of Gideon and pretty pictures of Francine in her ball gown. I am eagerly awaiting Ruination: The Rake and the Recluse: Part Four to see how Francine survives her captivity.

Here are my reviews of the first two parts of this serial novel. The books need to be read in order - 

Freedom: The Rake and the Recluse: Part One

Found: The Rake and the Recluse: Part Two 

Guest Post & Giveaway: Karina Cooper - ALL THINGS WICKED

Hi Everyone. Please help me welcome Karina Cooper to the blog today! She is here to promote her new novel, All Things Wicked. Today Karina is going to talk about the antagonists in her novel.

Bad to the Bone

Or, I Used to Be an Antagonist and All I Got Was This Bloody T-Shirt

First of all, thank you so much for having me here! I don’t get to talk about my antagonists much, so it’s refreshing to look at things from their point of view.

They say–those ubiquitous they who say so many things­–that everyone has a story to tell. No matter what authors are writing, what genre or grade, there is a fundamental core to every story that remains the same. I’m not sure if this is true or not, but I do recognize a trend in my own work. I write about people who don’t quite match what we picture when we think “good” and “bad”.

I like to play with the concept of antagonist versus protagonist. Good versus evil, black and white, and all those other sticky metaphors for “that one’s good and that one’s a total bastard”. For me, what should be a cut-and-dry issue–witches are evil, religion is bad, killers are morally bankrupt–becomes a gray area fraught with, “And yet...”

In All Things Wicked, the hero was once an antagonist–a man who has done terrible things for what we can only hope are good reasons. Caleb Leigh is fighting not just the coven of witches who were up to no good, but also the Order of witch hunters who’d have hunted them down. He’s working against his sister, who wants to help him–and ultimately place herself in danger to do it. He’s fighting the woman who becomes his heroine, who wants to see him burn for his betrayals.

That’s a lot of antagonism.

But he’s not the antagonist. The true antagonists of All Things Wicked aren’t all that clear-cut, either. On the one had, there are the witches who belong to the Coven of the Unbinding. These guys are bad news. Killers, kidnappers, magic-users who will stop at nothing to get what they want–whatever it is they want. They must be the defining “bad guys” of the book, aren’t they?

Only then there’s the Holy Order of St. Dominic. But surely they aren’t antagonists? Of course, they hunt and kill witches, but after everything Caleb’s done, you can’t blame them, right? As the overwatchers of the city of New Seattle, it’s their duty to protect it from the very same powers that destroyed it the first time, so a little overzealousness can be forgiven, don’t you think? Then there’s the closed trials and executions, the classified experiments and laboratories, the tyrannical... grasp on...

Okay, so the Order’s looking a little shady, isn’t it?

But what about the new Mission Director, Parker Adams? She’s only doing her job as she hunts Juliet Carpenter down. Is she an antagonist? Maybe?

So who, really, are the antagonists of All Things Wicked? The Coven? The Order? The Director?

Is there anyone who isn’t out to get us?

What’s your favorite type of antagonist? Do you like them cut and dry, bad is bad is bad, or do you like them more complicated? Who is your favorite antagonist of all time?

All Things Wicked
by Karina Cooper
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Series: Dark Mission, Book 3

Juliet Carpenter was always protected from the darker side of the witching world. But the massacre below Seattle, the one that claimed her sister’s life, opened her eyes to the true nature of those around her--especially Caleb Leigh. Juliet can’t believe that she slept with the man who killed her sister and now has just one thing on her mind: revenge. But old habits die hard and when it becomes clear that she can’t trust her Coven either, she’s left on the run with a man she hates more than anything.

Caleb isn’t proud of the things he’s done to survive, but nothing hurts him more than the pain he caused Juliet. Unable to reveal the truth about her sister’s death, and with both the Coven and the Mission hard on their heels, he must get Juliet to trust him long enough to save their lives. Because it’s not just the two of them who are in danger: if Juliet won’t let go of her rage enough to tap into her powers, everything they love--each other, their families, this whole miserable world--will be lost.

Author Bio – Karina Cooper

San Francisco provided me with a home only until the wanderlust struck. I was raised all over the U.S. like some kind of tiny blonde gypsy, and marinating in the melting pot of so many cultures may be the source of this wild imagination. No matter where I was or what I thought I wanted to be when I grew up—actress to artist, web designer, fashionista or author—I was always creative.

As far as careers go, daydreaming for a living kicks so much ass.

http://www.karinacooper.com/

http://www.karinacooper.com/blog/

http://www.facebook.com/romanceauthor

http://www.twitter.com/karinacooper

http://www.teatimeiniquity.org/

Giveaway:

Karina will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. The more comments you leave the better your chances of winning.

 

To Enter:

Answer Karina's questions from the post and include your email address.

Be sure to visit the other blogs on this tour. Click on the tour button below for a list of participating blogs.

My Book Boyfriend Giveaway Hop

Welcome Everyone. First I would like to thank Crystal at Reading Between the Wines Book Club and Ing at As The Pages Turn for hosting this awesome event!

What better way to celebrate the month of LOVE then with your favorite book boyfriend? Whether you have a valentine or not, the swoon worthy heroes we find in romances can’t be matched anyway! So why not put on those naughty underwear and curl up with one of these steamy reads this year instead? Make your Valentine’s Day perfect by joining the My Book Boyfriend Giveaway Hop where fellow bloggers offer you the chance to win some of their favorite book boyfriends!  

David Gandy is my favorite book boyfriend, imaginary boyfriend, fantasy boyfriend, whatever kind of boyfriend! The top image is actually my laptop background. *Drools* over it every day. ;-)

And now to the giveaway... And no, it is not David Gandy's Dolce & Gabbana book. It's over $100 and I can't afford it. But I am offering two great books with swoon worthy heroes in them:

Curio by Cara McKenna - Didier Pedra is a gorgeous French model who moonlights as a male prostitute. This sexy man will surprise you with his tenderness and sensitivity. Goodreads 

Omega Mine by Aline Hunter - For those of you in the mood for a powerful, alpha male shape shifter you won't want to miss Diskant Black. Super Sexxy! Goodreads

Here are the entry instructions:

Fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

  One winner will get to pick one of the books from the selections above.

Contest ends on February 5th, 2012 at 12:01 EST. This giveaway is open to both US and International readers. One winner will be chosen using Rafflecopter and will be notified by email. They will have 48 hours to reply otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

There are many more stops during the My Book Boyfriend Hop so be sure to check out all the other wonderful giveaways. Good luck!