Thursday, January 3, 2013

After Dark Review of Dance of Desire by Catherine Kean

I have added After Dark Reviews to my blog as a way of notifying you of a review of a book with Adult themes and scenes. From now on I will keep my reviews of all books I read that have explicit scenes in them for late night posts for those of you who prefer to avoid them or easy to find for those of you who seek them out ;)
 



Synopsis: "Desperate to save her brother Rudd from being condemned as a traitor, Lady Rexana Villeaux must dance in disguise at a feast for the High Sheriff of Warringham. Her goal is to distract him so her servant can steal a damning missive from the sheriff's solar. Dressed in the gauzy costume of a desert courtesan, dancing with all the passion and sensuality in her soul, she succeeds in her mission. And, at the same time, condemns herself.

Fane Linford, the banished son of an English earl, joined Richard's crusade only to find himself a captive in a hellish eastern prison. He survived the years of torment, it's rumored, because of the love of a Saracen courtesan. The rumors are true. And when he sees Rexana dance, Richard has promised Fane an English bride, yet he desires only one woman—the exotic dancer who tempted him. Then he discovers the dancer's identity. And learns her brother is in his dungeon, accused of plotting against the throne. It is more temptation than Fane can resist.

The last thing Rexana wants is marriage to the dark and brooding Sheriff of Warringham. But her brother is his prisoner, and there may be only one way to save him. Taking the greatest chance of her life, Rexana becomes the sheriff's bride. And learns that the Dance of Desire was only a beginning."


My Review: This was an enjoyable historical romance with some interesting ideas. Though with the slightly unusual touches, the underlying story still seems to be like so many other historical romances I have read, misunderstandings, lack of communication and betrayal all lead to a unstable relationship and drive wedges further between the couple. I do have to say though I enjoyed the way dancing was integrated into the story. I did prefer Fane as a character over the rest of the characters, and while Rudd had a background role I still rather liked him. Rexanna was a love/hate character for me, while I loved her dedication to her brother, I didn't like how she went about things. With those issues, I still rather enjoyed reading the story.
 
 
My Rating:  This was a middle of the road book for me.  I give it a rating of Two Paws and Stump Wag.

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