Run Lola run
“To Taste Temptation” by Elizabeth Hoyt
“Change that Heroine!” A Petition to Elizabeth Hoyt
Dear Ms Hoyt,
La Lola is a big fan of your Prince series (the fabulousity meter kept going up from the first book to the last). I have now finished your latest book, “To Taste Temptation.” Hoyt, we have a problem. A BIG problem with this book. A problem so huge, that Washington called, they’re setting up a select committee.
The problem is that I, La Lola, am not the heroine of it! That’s right. Washington has called to say that they are inviting you to attend their select committee of “Heroine’s Ousting in favour of One Charming Honey!” (aka H.O.O.C.H.Y)
And so I humbly petition you, please deed poll the name of Lady Emeline Gordon to Lady La Lola instead! Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
I love Samuel Hartley. Loved him with a capital L for Lick Him Like a Lollipop. Languidly. I’m such a neat freak that maybe I should lick him again, just to make sure he’s clean. That’s right. Emeline Gordon is not worthy of him! I, La Lola *thumps fist hard against a heart pining for Samuel* (Pause. Ouch) should be his lady love, the one whom he confides in and worships, the one who he does all those decadently sinful things to. Me! Not someone who thinks that she is too good for him because he used to be a frontier man from the Colonies, and repudiates him at every turn! I’ll show her repudiation, that little… *La Lola swings blindly and is forcefully held back by Juan and Sven, who are very concerned about the furniture*
Samuel Hartley is in London ostensibly for business, him being a kickass wealthy Bostonian businessman and all. But his secret agenda is to discover who betrayed his army regiment in America, leading to a massacre of the troops. Ms Hoyt, I can say that I am far from being a fan of the suspense plot in a romance novel. You can ask anyone. Jim the friendly butcher can attest to this, having heard me natter on while choosing this week’s cut of beef. I firmly believe that said plots should be shelved along with The Virgin Hero and yams. But in your able hands (see how I turn on the charm? Don’t you think charm is very important in oh let’s say, a romance heroine hmmm?) I actually found myself quite caught up in the plot. It was important to me because it was important to Samuel, who is important to me! I read a lot of Nancy Drew when I was younger. I so could have assisted Samuel in all his investigations across London. And when he got tired from his exertions, he could lay his head in my lap to rest. And when he’s no longer so exhausted, he can still keep his head in my lap and since he’s already there… Well then.
Ahem. And Emeline, whom he hires to bring his sister out into society, is unamused by his brash American ways and the fact that he’s always so secretly amused by the society around him. She hates his moccasins and the way he’s always laughing at her. What a fool! So what if he wears moccasins?! If Samuel asked me to wear moccasins I would say, “Slap them on me and call me Pocahontas.” (My God, I cannot believe I just said that. It could only be love.)
I loved how Samuel was so jealous and possessive over me. That’s right. Me. The power of The Secret says that you have to act as if something has already happened, so that it manifests itself. When he flew into a jealous rage and attacked my fiance, ok I’m switching back to Emeline, because no one would believe I would be crazy enough to have a fiance when there is Samuel the Stud lurking around me. Samuel goes to see Emeline and doesn’t realise that he has stumbled onto her engagement party. When the announcement is made, he tries to tear through the crowd to get to her, filled with a murderous rage at her fiancé that he dares to touch what is his. And then he pummels the fiance and they roll down the stairs because they are fighting over me so bitterly (Yup, switched back to myself again. Try to keep up people.)
Really, I should be the heroine Ms Hoyt, because I fully appreciate Samuel’s bedroom prowess. He’s got so many tricks up his sleeve that I had to stop imagining myself in Emeline’s place at that moment, because I was in danger of getting an aneurism. Seriously, how is it possible for him to do the things he does? Didn’t he spend a good part of his life out in the frontier? Aren’t there only raccoons there? And man can he keep going. Really, this is a hero who stays up all night. Yes, I mean he stays up all night.
And finally, when Emeline is in danger, Samuel and Emeline’s fiance race in a carriage to save her. But Samuel can’t wait and so he gets out of the carriage and runs across London until his feet bleed, so that he can rescue her. Until they bleed! With blood! Aieeeeeeee!!!!! Ms Hoyt, tell me what it is you want. What will it take to have me as Samuel’s heroine? Or the heroine of your next book. Chocolate? Shoes? Juan and Sven on loan with their coconut massages? We can make it happen. Just deed poll Emeline’s name to mine instead!
Yours with champagne bubbles,
La Lola
P.S La Lola really liked that subplot with Samuel’s younger sister Rebecca and the Irish footman O’Hare. I know they didn’t get together in this book, but since O’Hare’s following Rebecca and my husband back to America, I’m hoping that one of the next 3 books will feature 2 of them. Once O’Hare has made a suitable fortune of course.
Ana said,
June 10, 2008 @ 12:30 am
LOL, I loved Samuel too and boy was this book hot. I got a bit impatient with Emeline but understood where she was coming from. : )
And I too, can’t wait to see O’Hare becoming a millionaire because then that will make him an Irish Millionaire right?
Lady L said,
June 10, 2008 @ 3:46 am
*covering eyes with hands* this book is on my tbr list so I’m not reading the last part of the review.
She does write very hot and good stories.
Marg said,
June 10, 2008 @ 6:16 am
Slap them on me and call me Pocahontas! LOL!
I loved Samuel too. Unfortunately Emeline annoyed me a little. The way she kept pushing him away, even after they just made love irked me a lot!
La Lola said,
June 10, 2008 @ 5:38 pm
The next book is Vale and Melisande (Boy I didn’t see that one coming). And we have to wait until November! But I have ordered the Carolline Linden book, and it does sound a bit like Elizabeth Hoyt, so at least there’s something to look forward to. Oh and I ordered a book called “Master” by Colette Gale. *hangs head* I don’t think that will be like Elizabeth Hoyt’s books.
Dulce said,
June 11, 2008 @ 7:00 am
I guess I’ll give this book a second try because I left off either in chapter four or five. I did not like Emeline’s hoity toity attitude towards Samuel.
Kristie(J) said,
June 11, 2008 @ 8:23 am
Ah yes - Samuel. He could park his moccasins under my bed any time. I really liked this one too.
La Lola said,
June 11, 2008 @ 10:50 am
It picks up Dulce, once you start to see a lot more of Samuel. A LOT more. There were less than 5 sex scenes in this book yet I think it was way more scorching than some of the so-called erotica I’ve read!
Kristie(J): honey, Samuel can do anything he likes with me and I’d be happy. Is it disturbing that I’m starting to have strange fantasies about moccasins?
Lyndsey said,
June 14, 2008 @ 4:21 am
Have to chime in. This was one of the best reads this year….Samuel is sooo yummy!
La Lola said,
June 14, 2008 @ 11:26 am
I’m hoping Rebecca and O’Hare get their own book… And won’t just have their relationship resolved via a secondary romance!
Lady L said,
July 15, 2008 @ 10:16 am
“I’m hoping Rebecca and O’Hare get their own book… And won’t just have their relationship resolved via a secondary romance!”
Ditto, I think it might be very possible, not only because of the amount of time we read about his beautiful green eyes but because he was so interested in what the McDonald soldier had done, maybe he’s his lost son or something or a descendant of some other of the soldiers that died that day.
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I really liked this story, the heroine didn’t actually get on my nerves, I actually understand her and I think it was very well written, her changes are gradually wich I always enjoy (I hate it when they act a certain way all troughout the book and in the last page they miraculously change their minds). She changed slow and yeah I really get her.
Like always Elizabeth Hoyt manages to make a delightfuly yummy hero that makes you beg for more.
Do you girls think that the physical appereance of Vale will be portrayed different in his book? Cause this heroine kept sayin’ he had a horsey face and bloodhound face and whatnot, maybe in the next book EH will say that it was her opinion of his face cause she saw him as a brother? I’m not too hot for a horsey faced hero!!! :S
La Lola said,
July 15, 2008 @ 4:46 pm
“horsey face and bloodhound face and whatnot” HAHAHA. I don’t know if he will ever morph into Gerard Butler Lady L. Somehow I doubt it, because I seem to recall that Rafe from “The Raven Prince” had a pock-marked face because of his smallpox. But the heroes all seem to make up for this in being deliciously macho. I didn’t get the sense that Vale was as alpha as some of the other heroes, I guess he’s a bit like Simon in that sense? But very eager to read about Rebecca and O’Hare!