May 21, 2015

ARC REVIEW: WOLF BRIDE (Lust in the Tudor Court, Book #1) by Elizabeth Moss

Title: Wolf Bride
Author: Elizabeth Moss
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Historical Erotic Romance
Series: Lust in the Tutor Court Book #1


Summary On Goodreads:

Bound to him against her will…

Lord Wolf, hardened soldier and expert lover, has come to King Henry VIII's court to claim his new bride: a girl who has intrigued him since he first saw her riding across the Yorkshire moors.

Eloise Tyrell, now lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne Boleyn, has other ideas. She has no desire to submit to a man she barely knows and who-though she is loath to admit it-frightens her more than a little.

Their first kiss awakens in both a fierce desire that bares them to the soul. But as the court erupts into scandal around the ill-fated Queen, Eloise sees firsthand what happens when powerful men tire of their wives...

Buy Links:
AMAZON / B & N / KOBO / INDIEBOUND


RATING: 2/ 5 stars

~ REVIEW ~


One of the goals I set for myself this year when it comes to reading is to try some genres I rarely read. One of them is historical romance, so that was one of the main reasons beside the sexy cover I picked this book up.

~ Why it didn't work out for me:


~ Unfortunately, after reading this book I'm even more sure than ever that historical romances aren't the right genre for me and that I should stick to contemporary. Why is that? First of all, I'm not a fan of the courteous way people communicate in historical romances. Secondly and probably the most important reason is the inferior portrayal of women in this genre. Women are seen only as a source for increasing population and they have little to none right in comparison to men which bothered me a lot while reading this book. Yes, I've read a lot of classics from this genre which are still one of my favorite books ever, but no offense to anyone- I don't think this book is on the same level.

~ I couldn't connect to the characters or their story. This refers especially to the main character Eloise who I considered weak, naive and at times- a true drama queen. But then again, I also think that the biggest reason for that is the era she was born in. She was raised to keep her mouth shut and be the obedient woman, daughter and wife like the rest of the women of that time, so I can't really blame her. 

~ The over-used plot. To be honest I feel that we've seen/read this plot too many times so far. It lacked originality and therefore I was bored through the most of the book.

I did enjoy some of the sexy banter between the main couple occasionally, but the book as a whole failed to leave some bigger impression on me. That is why 2 stars. Read it and decide for yourself.




Excerpt 

“Let’s have a kiss to seal your oath,” Wolf said shortly, and bent his head to hers.

Eloise had thought Lord Wolf would give her a token kiss, like that given by a bridegroom after the marriage vows had been exchanged. Some cold and bloodless meeting of lips to remind her that she belonged to him now. But his mouth took hers with a kiss of such ardent fervor she could barely stand beneath it, her hands clinging to his shoulders. She was dazed, her body under assault, not expecting the wave of violent passion that swept through her in the wake of his embrace.

His kiss was bold and darkly possessive. Lord Wolf was sure of her acquiescence, she realized with a shock. Nor was he wrong. Eloise found her lips parting beneath his, her tiny gasp an opportunity for his tongue to slip inside.

Seeming to sense her surrender, he lifted her slightly, pressing her against the cold stone wall, just as Simon had done, and lowered his head again to claim her lips.

He tasted of heat and long summer nights, his scent as well as his hands enticing her closer, reminding her of spice and oranges. She had meant to resist, but it was impossible. His tongue traced slowly along her lower lip, then dipped back inside, stroking and flickering, promising the kind of sensual pleasures she had only dreamt of before in the privacy of her bed.

In a few ecstatic seconds, she had forgotten Simon’s boyish, enthusiastic kisses. This was beyond mere physical desire. His body weighted strongly against hers, he no longer needed to hold her still. His mouth teased and played her, one hand cupping her face, the other stroking her long hair.

Eloise moaned under his kiss, her eyes closing with pleasure. She felt new worlds opening up as he touched her, parts of herself suddenly springing to life under his hands. Her breasts tingled in a way she barely recognized, her nipples taut, pushing against the neckline of her gown. Between her thighs a strangely sweet ache had begun to throb, her flesh there slick with unaccustomed longing.

Eloise drew back, turning her head away so he could not kiss her again. “Please,” she whispered.

His gaze followed her, heavy-lidded with desire. “Please yes, or please no?”

xoxo,

Purple

14 comments:

  1. Bummer! I love that cover, but I don't like the way it made you feel. I'm big fan of Historical romances but I like when the heroines are strong and sassy in spite their status in that era, that's one of my strongest attractions to the genre ( I love it when I encounter a heroine of that caliber), but in general I completely understand your feelings and I know women had a long way to go.
    Great review!

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    1. Thanks, Loupe! It just wasn't on the level of other great historical romances I've read. :/

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  2. I'm sorry that you weren't able to enjoy this one more, I always need my books to give me that little bit extra these days, otherwise the book really doesn't end up keeping my attention, so I can understand why you would have a few issues with this book. But thank you for the honest review!

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    1. Agreed!

      Thanks for stopping by!:)

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  3. Oh damn. Well, sometimes, I like reading overused tropes to get back into the swing of things after /during a slump. So maybe it could work for others. I don't know...kinda interested?

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    1. Try it, maybe it'll work for you. :) I admit I'm not exactly the right person to turn to when it comes to historical genre, because I read it so rarely nowadays.

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  4. That is a very sexy cover and I can see why you'd be lured in to try the story. I don't read historical romance often, but I've had pretty good luck with it so far. Although, the heroines that I've had haven't been meek at all, but rather portrayed as strong outspoken women. I'm not sure I would've enjoyed this either with the heroine as you described. I don't like the setting of England's court at this time period. I hate all the stories of these completely horrible kings who killed off their wives when they were bored with them. How about someone lop off their head, or maybe another part below the waistband instead?!

    Hope your next experience with historical romance is better. I've enjoyed Only Enchanting by Mary Balogh recently and she has a title available for review on Netgalley: Only a Promise. I'll be reading that one soon. Great honest review, Purple! Sorry for the mini-novella comment here, lol! :)

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    1. Haha...Then you should definitely stay away from this because there is some killing off or better say beheading. xD

      Thank you, Rachel! I'll have those book in mind if I decide to give another try to this genre. At this point I don't see myself doing it. Hope you'll enjoy that book as much as you did Only Enchanting. :)

      Don't worry, I love your mini-novella comments! :D

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  5. And I didn't believe in the love between the two main characters, either. I'm afraid I requested this book because of its pretty cover, but I'm glad I didn't buy it !

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  6. That's a shame it put you even more firmly out of historical romance. I've seen this one on a few blogs now and no one seemed too impressed with it. Who all have you tried in historical romance? It's one of my favorite genres. Society as a whole can drive me nuts in how they treated women but so many of the historical authors I read turn out fabulous heroines who buck that which is really great to see :D

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    1. It's been a long time since I've tried smth from this genre, so to be honest beside some of the classics I don't even remember the rest. I've read some mm historical romances lately, but fantasy books and loved them, but I guess that doesn't count.

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    2. I think all historical count :D I love erotic historicals and para historicals :) If you ever give plain historicals a go again Sabrina Jeffries, Anne Barton, Alyssa Alexander and Jennifer Haymore are all excellent. Elizabeth Hoyt as well. hers are a little darker and most have some sort of physical issue (injured leg, hearing, can't speak, etc)

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    3. Ok! Thanks for the recommendations! :)

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