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Review: Elizabeth Hoyt

I recently read two novels by author Elizabeth Hoyt, and I must say, her style is interesting. While most romance novels tell the stories of beautiful young ladies and rich attractive gentlemen, Hoyt uses her novels to tell the stories that haven't been heard before.


To Beguile A Beast is the story of a scarred gentleman, both literally and figuratively. Alistair Munroe was attacked in the French and Indian War during an ambush. He was left with only one eye and eight fingers. His face is scarred and his heart is lonely. He is visited by a desperate, beautiful woman who is in need of employment. Though weary of his guest and her reaction to his scarred figure, he lets her stay. I must say that, rather shallowly, in the begining of the story I was not convinced that I would like the book. I didn't know if I could really escape into this world if the main character was so scarred and the leading lady was older than the usual heroine. However, the writing of the book and the connection between the two characters was so intense that I forgot all about their ages and their surface traits and focused on their true personalities and the plot line. The attraction between these two characters was more than skin-deep, which is refreshing in such a shallow world. The tension between them was palpable; it made my stomach turn over in nervousness. I loved this book despite my original skepticism.
The Raven Prince was very similar to the first book in that the main man is scarred, but this time with pock marks. He was a victim of small pox in his youth and his entire family died from it leaving only him as the heir to his earldom. Hoyt's writing drew me into this novel just as well as it drew me into the first one. I was delighed when the characters were delighted and frustrated when they were frustrated. I finished this book in only a day, which says something about how good it was. Once again, despite the reality of this gentleman's appearance, I could find him attractive and I could connect with both characters.

Elizabeth Hoyt is a new favorite author of mine, even though I can begin to see a pattern in her storylines. I would love to see a different plot, but these novels were an excellent way to pass my thanksgiving break.

Dowry: Old-Fashioned Romance or Just Plain Old-Fashioned?

Relating to three recent world news articles on dowries:

This article in September
This article in November
This article also in November of this year

The first article is from India and details the sad tale of a woman who was simply married for her dowry and nothing else. Now she is filing for dowry harassment. Apparently the man married the woman at the insistence of his parents, promising the woman that he would convert from Christianity to Hinduism and he also wore a wig at the time of the wedding, so that the woman did not know he was bald. At first, he did not demand the dowry, but now he insists on it.

The second is about a murder and kidnapping that came about because of dowry money. The crime, organized by the grandmother of two brothers, was brought about after the breakdown of the family in question's sister's marriage. The estranged brother-in-law had not paid the sister's dowry back, which was the reason for the entire crime.

The third is a montage about abandoned Indian wives, used for their dowries and basically neglected by their husbands.

Of course, all three of these examples are extremes of how arranged marriages can go awry (I've read many romance novels where arranged marriages end in a passionate, unending love, just to present an opposite view) and many arranged marriages are conducted in a respectful, non-murderous way. In addition, it could also be argued that divorce between non-arranged couples can be just as nasty as these examples.

However, the point of discussion here is the use of dowry. The price of a bride. When a bride is given to her husband, she comes with a certain amount of money, assets and/or property. If the marriage goes sour, the husband is to give those things back to his wife. Originally, this was meant as a precaution for the bride so that she would not be completely destitute if abandoned by her husband. Yet, in modern times, the precaution seems more problematic then helpful for the bride. Not to mention that the bride is essentially being sold for a price. Marriages themselves are hard enough, why add the element of greed on top of it all to complicate nuptials further?

Dowries, in my mind, seem obsolete and unnecessary--perpetuating instances like the ones in these articles. These days, a bride and groom can divide their money in a prenuptial agreement or split assets 50/50. Modern society, in India, the U.S. or elsewhere should not need a bargaining price to sell their brides.

More articles on dowries:
Campaign "Daughters Against Dowries" to be Launched
Indian Husbands Want Protection from Nagging Wives
Family Expels Bride for Paltry Dowry

Romance your Date!

There are so many things to do on a first date, and so many potentials for disaster! How do we stand out in the dating world and get a second date with someone we want to see again? Or how do we step outside our day-to-day routine with our long time partner? The answer is so obvious--be unique.

Doing something out of the ordinary will always impress your date, whether it is your first time with that person or your hundredth time. Both men and women can learn to be unique and at the same time be romantic.

We always hear about the same old dates: dinner or a movie. However, if you are really attracted to the person you are dating, you'll want to show that you are different than everyone else they've dated before. Dinner and a movie aren't bad ideas if you find some way to make them different or more fun than the usual routine. You can make a dinner-date especially romantic just by having a picnic.

A movie can be a romantic experience if the theater is old-fashioned or vintage. There are also some classy cinema establishments, like this one in Milwaukee, that serve expensive wine and cocktails as well as dinner.

But if you really want to step out of the box, do something entirely new!
-Take your date dancing or sign up for ballroom dance lessons together.
-Go to the zoo
-Go to an amusement park
-More Ideas!

Even though most of the emphasis of this post is on the uniqueness of the date location or activity, the way to a successful date is to be unique and interesting yourself. Don't try to be someone you aren't, just be comfortable and be you. (After all, there is no point in dating someone if they don't like you for who you are.)

However, there are general ways to impress the person you are out with.

And there are certain methods that guarantee success.

Lastly, if you're nervous and you get this far, here are some kissing tips!

Review: Too Wicked to Tame by Sophie Jordan

Too Wicked to Tame is a seductive romance novel that takes passion to new heights. Sophie Jordan's writing makes her story hard to put down. The novel transported me to the moors of Yorkshire during the Regency period in England. The cold, windswept moor setting seemed to echo the feelings of the main characters: two people unwilling to wed yet pressured and thrown together in tantalizing scenarios. Their mutual desire is felt along with their frustration toward their respective families for conspiring to entrap them in marriage. Each lover has a secret to hide from the other--one hides the shame of destitution in an aristocratic family and one's lineage is littered with "madness" or insanity. Even though they want to rebel against their families, their connection to and desire for each other is too strong to avoid. This historical romance is intense, fiery and saucy. Sophie Jordan has made a classic love story with thrilling twists. Read this book, but make sure you have time to read the whole thing, because you wont want it to end!

Old-fashioned Romance and Technology: A Match Made in Heaven

In this day and age is it possible to live a high-tech life and be an old-fashioned romantic? YES. New technology has enabled us to do those special things we do for our significant others twice as fast.

So, how can we use technology in a relationship? Email, texting and social networking sites are great ways to show someone that you are thinking about them.

Who says that technology is making us impersonal? There are plenty of examples drawing a completely different conclusion--that we can be personal to more people in half the time it took in the past. Just one word in a text message can make someone smile. If a woman wakes up in the morning to "Good morning, darling!" she ten times more likely to have a great day. A love letter still means the same thing whether it is written out and sent in the mail or typed in an email. Romance has not died because of technology, rather the opposite has happened.

If we know our partner is having a bad day, a better mood is just an e-card away! There are hundreds of sites out there for sending free romantic e-cards.

Opposing Viewpoints?
Tressugar Blog
New York Times Article
And Now for Life

Want to brighten someone's day?
-Here are some examples of romantic letters to send to someone important to you.
-Here is a free, romantic e-card site to make someone's heart melt.