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As You Desire (Braxton #1)

by Connie Brockway (Goodreads Author)

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 1,606 ratings · 109 reviews

He galloped across the midnight-shrouded landscape, racing toward her on his pure white steed. Her destiny...In her wildest fantasies Desdemona Carlisle could not have conjured a more dashing savior, and this was real. But an unlikelier hero was hard to find. Harry Braxton was a rogue, a scoundrel, and a born opportunist who had already broken her heart once. How could she...more

Paperback, 400 pages

Published January 1st 1997 by Dell

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Jul 19, 2010 Dina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Dina by: K.

Shelves: historical-romance, dik

WOW! LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT! That´s all I have to say. :)

And here's my favorite passage (excerpt available at CB's website, so this isn't a spoiler):

“And Blake.” Harry shook his head in disgust. “Such affectations.”

“You are calling someone affected?” she asked, raising her brows. “You, who employ two secretaries, one for your Arab dealings and one for your English? You, who are too high and mighty to write your own correspondence?”

Harry grinned. “That’s different. At least I don’t commit t...more WOW! LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT! That´s all I have to say. :)

And here's my favorite passage (excerpt available at CB's website, so this isn't a spoiler):

“And Blake.” Harry shook his head in disgust. “Such affectations.”

“You are calling someone affected?” she asked, raising her brows. “You, who employ two secretaries, one for your Arab dealings and one for your English? You, who are too high and mighty to write your own correspondence?”

Harry grinned. “That’s different. At least I don’t commit the sin of triteness. Calling you a ‘rose.’ An ‘English rose’ at that. You must forgive him the hackneyed compliment. Old Blake’s not much for originality, I’m afraid.”

“I thought him charming.”

Harry made an unconvinced sound.

“I did. I suppose you could do better?”

“Well were I to make the effort to extol a woman’s beauty, I could certainly do better than to drag out some tired old cliche about a rose.”

“You are the most monumentally egocentric man I know,” Desdemona said, trying to keep the trace of admiration out of her voice.

“You are unconvinced?” Harry asked, taking a sip of coffee and crossing his legs. “Allow me to demonstrate… and please bear in mind that I improvise.”

He spread jam over a piece of toast, studying her quizzically as he did so. She felt like a specimen, standing there under his scrutiny. She took the chair next to his and started buttering her own toast with supreme indifference. She was not a specimen.

“Let me see. Nothing floral. In fact, I think we’ll dispense with the vegetative allusions all together. Animal?” he asked rhetorically. “Perhaps a gazelle? No,” he dismissed the idea, chomping into his toast. “Too meek. Too inconsequential. This is difficult, Diz. To blandish a woman about her physical appearance is so limiting.”

“Yes,” she said dryly, burying a pinprick of hurt. He couldn’t think of anything to compliment her on.

“All right, then,” he finally said. “I’d begin with the way you stand.”

“Stand?” He’d caught her off guard. She blinked.

“Slender. Upright. Face lifted for the sun god’s caress,” he murmured slowly, musingly, as if to himself. He cocked his head, his eyes traveling lingeringly over her body, and she recognized the potent attraction other women must feel when Harry looked at them this way. As if she were the central point upon which all of his world turned. As if he lo—

“Why, look,” he asked in a hushed voice, some thing surprised and painful and pleased in his tone, “even Ra himself cannot resist you. Only see how he lathes your cheeks and brow with his heated tongue”— he reached out, brushing his fingers over her tanned cheek— “marking you with his golden kiss?”

His words were too graphic, too carnal, and she was too aware of his fingers skating along her cheekbone and over her jaw line. He’d never spoken to her this way before. Her heartbeat quickened, thrumming in her throat and in her wrists. She shivered. He smiled. His hand retreated.

“How can a mere mortal man stand a chance if even the gods are so enamored?” he whispered. “And how can one single image describe you? You are a country, a country of unexplored sensation and whim, veiled in dawn, shining, shedding light. See how the long fluid line of your throat flows to your breasts?” If he heard the intake of her breath, he ignored it. “Or how their blue-shadowed curves ripen above the smooth plain of your belly?”

She should stop him, he went too far, but his voice mesmerized her, like sweet, honeyed wine, warm and languorous.

“Your mouth.” He paused, and her lips felt suddenly sensitized, tingling as his gaze fixed on them. “Your mouth is a sweet well sealed against me, keeping me thirsting for the clarity of your kiss. Your flesh is like the desert sand, warmth and shifting strength beneath its golden color. Your palms open, fingers flexed, are minarets, delicate and elegant. And your body… it is the Nile itself— the camber of your back slipping so easily by the narrows of your waist and jettied hips to the lush delta below.”

He stopped. She heard the intake of his breath. “You are my country, Desdemona.” Yearning, harsh and poignant and she felt herself swaying toward him. “My Egypt. My hot, harrowing desert and my cool, verdant Nile, infinitely lovely and unfathomable and sustaining.”

She gasped.

His gaze fell, shielded by his lashes. An odd, half-mocking smile played about his lips. “You’ll never hear old Blake say something like that.”

She swallowed, unable to speak, her senses abraded by his stimulating words, her pulse hammering in anticipation? Trepidation?

“Remember my words next time he calls you a bloody English rose.”

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Jan 31, 2012 KatLynne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: g-historical-romance, made-me-laugh, setting-egypt, hero-dyslexic, 2012-reads, hero-favorite-smokin-hot-sexay, hero-i-adored, hero-tortured-flawed, heroine-i-loved, heroine-with-backbone-smart-strong, library-ebook, part-of-a-series, sensual-steamy

Thanks again Jill for introducing me to another amazing author and fantastic read!

"I have loved you through each long season, through the span of each day, each meter of the night, that I have wasted, alone.

In darkness I have lain awake filling the hours with the sound of your voice, the image of your body, until desire lives within me.

Mere memory of you awakes my flesh, brings singing to limbs that are numb without you.

I am impoverished without you.

Thus into the darkness I call; Where have you...more Thanks again Jill for introducing me to another amazing author and fantastic read!

"I have loved you through each long season, through the span of each day, each meter of the night, that I have wasted, alone.

In darkness I have lain awake filling the hours with the sound of your voice, the image of your body, until desire lives within me.

Mere memory of you awakes my flesh, brings singing to limbs that are numb without you.

I am impoverished without you.

Thus into the darkness I call; Where have you gone, houri of my heart?
Why have you gone from him who could teach the sun of burning?

Who is more constant than is dawn to day?

I hear no beloved voice answer and I, too well, know how much I am alone."

A wonderful delight! --4.5 Stars --

Harry Braxton is a hero I won't soon forget as well as Desdemona Carlisle aka Harry's Dizzy!

Set in Victorian Egypt with a heroine that I adored who brought me many laugh out loud moments. And Harry Braxton, well I just wanted to find him and give him all kind of cuddles:-)...*sigh*

A protégée, Desdemona could read by the time she was two and lost her childhood to parents more concerned with developing and displaying her remarkable talents. At age fifteen, an accident renders her orphaned and she finds herself living in Egypt with her grandfather. Here she blossoms into a self-confident, independent woman with a romantic heart yearning for her knight in shining armor.

And Harry, wow, what a man! He's sexy, intense, protective and charming, but holds closely a secret that has tortured him most of his life. As the story unfolds and the depth of Harry’s pain is revealed, my heart broke completely and I found myself angry at those villainous souls responsible. He has escaped the ravages of England where he learned that “pain is the only reward for clinging to impossible dreams.” And in Cairo he finds acceptance, respect, and a lucrative vocation that he loves. And yet, the scars from his past still linger causing him to reject the longings of his heart.

I loved so many things about this book. It’s a sensual, emotional, touching, and tender love story with many laugh out loud moments! This is my first by this author and I will definitely be reading more.

One of my favorite quotes comes when Harry's cousin compares Desdemona to the English rose. I loved Harry's response.....(view spoiler) --*sighing again*
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Apr 09, 2010 Zeek rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, hist-rom, hist-rom-exotic-locale, hist-rom-quirky-h-h

A quirky historical romance in many ways, I really enjoyed As You Desire.

This story follows our protags through the sands and markets of Egypt as they come to an understanding about each other. I loved that the setting of AYD stayed in Egypt. Historical Romance is my first love, but, having read the genre through several decades now, I've grown weary of the English/Scottish settings. Reading this one was breath of fresh air and it is my desire to see other authors branch out like that.

Desdemona...more

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Feb 15, 2011 Autumn rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone with a beating heart in pursuit of romance.

Recommended to Autumn by: anja, bj rose

Shelves: historical-romance, personal-favorites, i-own, favorite-authors

Without preambles i would get to the pt and say " this book will always have a special place in my heart" for several reasons.

the setting, the characters, the plot, the prose! do i have to say more?!? :)

the setting is Victorian Egypt. it was an amazing ride! Brockway makes the most beautiful descriptions of an Egyptian sunset..the color, textures, smells, the atmosphere that surrounds this characters is just amazingly exotic!.

the plot was enchanting!! We have two people who have always felt lik...more
Without preambles i would get to the pt and say " this book will always have a special place in my heart" for several reasons.

the setting, the characters, the plot, the prose! do i have to say more?!? :)

the setting is Victorian Egypt. it was an amazing ride! Brockway makes the most beautiful descriptions of an Egyptian sunset..the color, textures, smells, the atmosphere that surrounds this characters is just amazingly exotic!.

the plot was enchanting!! We have two people who have always felt like outsiders in their own land. Cairo provides them an opportunity to reveal the best of themselves, to be comfortable with who they are.. and of course the challenge is to find a sense of complete belonging;to find home in each other.

The story revolves around the main character`s own demons. This is not so much the typical inner struggle of the battered hero/heroine. The kind of struggle our Hero Harry goes through is part of him,hence he need to learn to accept it, and work his way around it. The how, was what made him quite remarkable!. Harry never expected life to get easier but to make the best of what was available to him. His worst enemy was himself. The fear to loose the one person he wanted most in the world; Dizzy. He was his best friend, and confidante ..he always rescued her and loved her enough to let her grow and be herself.. Brockway colored his personality as an outspoken fearless, highly sociable charming people person. Its such a contrast when you think about troubled heroes whose personality is tainted by cynicism and mistrust. Not that Harry wasn't all that too, but he really had charisma and joy that radiated whatever he was.

Dizzy.. hmm well she has been an outcast in her own way. She is this prodigy child that was valued for what she knew and represented,rather for what she was. Naturally she strives for normalcy,and that plays an important part in the plot.She has always been in love with Harry, but never understands why she cant win his love. She has an incredible mature personality however,she shoulders a lot of responsibilities making her so much more humane. That doesn't stop her from getting in mischief every every other time.. and for Harry to always follow her trace like a vigilant sentinel.

their romance is so special because they are already in love from the beginning.. so its beautiful to see how this relationship morphs beautifully.

The secondary characters were surprisingly pleasant and very real. they are not black and white. there are not "evil" villains with conniving plans.They are just people with their own share of struggles that see the easy way out by blaming their misery in the better ppl.

Now, the prose! OK.! Brockway was incredibly amazing incorporating pharaohs and their romantic scriptures! they were incredible pieces of poetry.. the way she blended all this elements in one book was just worthy of my lengthy review LOL! but it truly is an amazing read!

ps: I would never get over that last scene... it was the sweetest love making i have read..

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Mar 20, 2011 willaful rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: special-needs-learning-disability, unusual-heroine, made-me-laugh, o-con-artist-hustler-shady

I just saw someone mention a “frenemies-to-lovers” plot, which is an apt description for this historical romance. As it opens, Desdemona (Dizzy) has been captured by Egyptian slave traders and is half-fearfully, half-eagerly waiting to see what’s going to happen. (She has a vivid and romantic imagination. Also, she’s bored and somewhat tipsy.) But the mysterious, exotic figure she envisions owning her turns out to be someone she knows very well: “She stared at him, disbelief turning to amazement...more

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Oct 06, 2009 Edna Lyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, historical-romance

Another one of those AAR listed books that I've had my eyes on. This one was a first for me because it's set in Victorian Egypt. I've read only one other book during 1890 but it was in America with some of the similar social rules. As You Desire has a very nice change of location and culture, much more free and colorful than stuffy regency England times in the earlier 1800s.

The two main characters were full of life and entertaining. Oh gosh the relationship they had was so much fun with banter a...more

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Aug 13, 2011 Zahu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: recommended-reads, adorable-heroines, unconditional-enduring-love, ultra-yummy-heroes, sweet-reads, virgin-heroines, mentally-handicapped, 1800-1899

This was a wonderful wonderful read! :)

A sweet story of unconditional love on both sides, the story completely captivated me with its adorable heroine and yummy hero!

And the added element of an imperfection on the hero's side was the icing on the cake. I love tortured heroes, in any form or manner!

Connie Brockway has definitely got my attention. I loved the writing and I can't wait to check out more of her works.

p.s. Thank you Denise, for throwing this little gem my way!

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Jan 29, 2008 Ana T. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: keeper, loaned

On one of the groups I belong to we have a monthly event called the Author of the Month. Every month an author is chosen and were supposed to read one of their books and comment.

The author this month was Connie Brockway and to tell the truth this must the first time in many many months that I actually read the AOM in the corresponding month.

I'm glad to say that I really enjoyed the book I picked - As You Desire. First of all I loved how she describes the setting. It actually felt like Egypt to...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Vi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, historical, buddy-reads

3 1/2 stars. It would have been 4 stars but the ebook formatting sucked. Sentences kept getting chopped off at the start of page. Tried different formatting but it didn't work. *Sigh* Totally ruined my enjoyment of the book when I had to guess what the earlier sentence was or keep changing the formatting to see the missing sentence. Well, so far, not a review.

The book is basically a friends-to-lovers trope. The journey taken was sweet but frustrating at times. Brockway has drawn the characters v...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Beverly rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this so much more, but then by the end I realized that I didn't really know who the characters were.

I kind of just really flew through the pages, and next thing I knew I was already halfway through. There are many events in this book that make me feel like it detracted from the character development.

Desdemona is kidnapped at the beginning and is rescued by Harry. At first I thought it was the first time she had seem him since she had declared her love for him three years before,...more

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May 11, 2012 Jane Stewart rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

Hero and heroine stupidity. Nothing special or different. I wanted it to be over.

STORY BRIEF:
Desdemona (Des) was a child prodigy. She spent her youth with strict tutors who taught her many languages, including Egyptian hieroglyphics. Her parents died. She now lives with her grandfather in Egypt. She sneaks out of the house often, dressed in disguise as an Arab woman, going to bazaars and antique dealers. Her grandfather is an expert in Egyptian antiques and doesn’t have much money. Des provides...more

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Nov 14, 2011 Kagama-the Literaturevixen rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, victorian

Horrible book :(

Were dropped in the midst of the heroine having been abducted by some egyptians.

Luckily her friend/enemy arrives in the nick of time and takes her home.This raises some questions...

How did he find her? How did he even know she was kidnapped? Its never fully explained (or I missed it because of trudging through the porridg-like dialogue)

At this point if youre 50 pages into the book and you still cant manage to care about the heroine its probably a bad book.

Shes a regular Mary Sue,...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Madame X rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, historical-romance

Desdemona is a child prodigy; she has a gift for reading dead languages and before her parents died they sacrificed her girlhood to science, toting her around to scientific conferences and having her perform. She escaped into happily-ever-after books, and when her parents died she went to live with her grandfather in Egypt. The grandfather is a scholar and absentminded to the point of being neglectful; but at least he loves Desdemona and wants her to be happy.

Desdemona arrived in Egypt at the a...more Desdemona is a child prodigy; she has a gift for reading dead languages and before her parents died they sacrificed her girlhood to science, toting her around to scientific conferences and having her perform. She escaped into happily-ever-after books, and when her parents died she went to live with her grandfather in Egypt. The grandfather is a scholar and absentminded to the point of being neglectful; but at least he loves Desdemona and wants her to be happy.

Desdemona arrived in Egypt at the age of 17. She immediately fell head over heels for Harry Braxton; and, enthusiastically but rashly, she propositioned him. But he spurned her, wounding her deeply and causing her to mistrust him.

Braxton is dislexic. He had a miserable childhood in England, where he was treated like an idiot, and escaped to Egypt where he can hide his disability and find a use for his tremendous intellect...he can read heiroglyphs, because he can touch them, and he can hire scribes to write for him. He's very sensitive about his problem, however, after years spent being teased and taunted.

Braxton has loved Desdemona almost since he met her. He turned her down because she was, at 17, young and innocent - not somebody he was willing to take advantage of. Unfortunately, in the process he hurt her horribly. His reputation as a cavalier adventurer only cements Desdemona's mistrust of him.

In "As You Desire," five years after Desdemona's initial offer, Braxton and Desdemona are friends - Braxton is resigned to the role of hopeless, long-suffering lover; Desdemona has the habit of denying her feelings.

The book sends the pair on a host of merry adventures. Brockway does a magnificent job of capturing the setting and the social scene of Cairo in the late nineteenth century; her collection of genteel exiles and brash adventurers provide a magnificent backdrop for the romance itself, incredibly vivid and fun. Her integration of ancient Egyptian history and art is great too.

Both Desdemona and Braxton are spunky, totally captivating characters. Braxton's total perfection is made even more appealing (because it is more human) because of his struggle with dislexia...and Desdemona's beauty and brilliance are, likewise, tempered by the sentimental fantasy life she nourishes in romances, the leftover of a very lonely childhood.

It's well-written, well-plotted, well-paced, extremely satisfying. Bravo!(less)

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Mar 20, 2011 Karla rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: friends-to-lovers

I really enjoyed reading this older historical, written in 1997. I loved the setting of Egypt in 1890s, and there was a real connection between the hero and heroine.

Desdemona and Harry have been sort-of friends for five years and have actually been nearly in love with each other. Harry feels he doesn't deserve her and that in fact he can never be who Desdemona wants -- a romantic English aristocrat -- so he keeps their relationship on a friends basis. Then his cousin arrives in Egypt and seems...more

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Mar 10, 2011 BarkLessWagMore rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

When we first meet Desdemona Carlisle she's bored, bound, a bit tipsy on fermented milk and awaiting the auctioning block. She's an Englishwoman and has been abducted by an overzealous young Arab. A romantic, Desdemona begins to fantasize about how exciting it might be to bought by a desert Prince. Then opportunist Harry Braxton shows up to save her hide. She can't believe her rotten luck and tells him, "If you bought me I'll kill you!".

Thus begins this truly fun, character driven, adventurous r...more When we first meet Desdemona Carlisle she's bored, bound, a bit tipsy on fermented milk and awaiting the auctioning block. She's an Englishwoman and has been abducted by an overzealous young Arab. A romantic, Desdemona begins to fantasize about how exciting it might be to bought by a desert Prince. Then opportunist Harry Braxton shows up to save her hide. She can't believe her rotten luck and tells him, "If you bought me I'll kill you!".

Thus begins this truly fun, character driven, adventurous read. We soon find out why Dizzy (as Harry so charmingly calls her) is so disappointed with her savior. He is the scoundrel who broke her heart several years earlier. Unable to avoid each other (he's an archeologist often in need of Dizzy's translation skills) they have forged a platonic friendship.

Dizzy never had a childhood. A child prodigy, her parents forced her to study languages and traveled around the world to show off her talents. When her parents died her Egyptologist Grandfather brought her to Cairo and she has been eking out a living using her language skills. Her fondest dream is living a normal life in England but, unfortunately, she's broke.

She loves Harry but will never allow him to hurt her again. When Harry's hunky, brooding cousin Lord Ravenscroft shows up in Egypt she realizes he may just be the perfect antidote to Harry. Blake is a boring, sensible, uptight fuddy-duddy. He's everything her head tells her she needs ~- if she could only convince her heart she'd be all set.

Harry (of course) loves Dizzy but he is unwilling to allow her to give up her dreams to make him happy so he pushes her away for her own good. He is hiding a painful secret that makes him feel inadequate and he will not return to England after his dreadful childhood. But when she starts making eyes at his priggish cousin he loses all sense of his faculties.

I don't want to give too much away of this irresistible story so I'll just say that these two have my vote for most lovable couple of the year! They compliment each other perfectly in every way. Harry is a wonderfully original wounded hero. He's a man man enough to admit his love (there's no annoying denial of feelings going on with this guy!), shed a few tears, and face down a madman for the woman he loves. Dizzy (despire her name) is intelligent, strong, funny and she reads erotic scrolls when no one is looking. She's a romantic and a heroine the reader can easily relate to. These two people are so real they leap off the page and the hot desert sun is the perfect back drop for the super steamy tension they create.(less)

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Dec 07, 2012 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1800s-period-of-history, romance-series, chemistry-is-good, historical-romance, victorian-times, middle-east-setting, lighthearted, hero-has-disability, hero-gives-chase, heroine-has-some-stupid-moments, naive-heroine

Modern in context, this 1880 Victorian love story set in Egypt, stretched the historical romance genre quite a bit for me. Harry Braxton, the hero, wore his heart on his sleeve. He did his best trying to hide his true feelings for the heroine, Desdemona Carlisle. Or Dizzy as he called her. And dizzy is what she made his life. This story shows what happens when shame overrides expressing how you feel about another.

On the verge of turning 21, Dizzy has had a crush on Harry for over three years. Se...more

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Apr 01, 2011 Amelia Fransiska rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: historical romance lovers

Recommended to Amelia by: no one

Shelves: historical-romance, in-english, drop-dead-gorgeous-hero, hardcore-heroine, i-m-laughing-out-loud, man-of-my-dreams, read-in-2011, the-best-tearjerker, favorites, frenemy-to-lover

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. LOVEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD it

Desdemona Carlisle si jenius mungil yg cintaaa bgt ama yg nama nya bahasa…
Dia menguasai 12 bahasa,,, termasuk bahasa2 kuno nan ajaib…
Sayangnya walopun dia mengerti dan bisa membaca tulisan2 kuno sprti hieroglyph, Dizzy –panggilan sayang Harry ke Desdemonia- tidak fasih brbicara bahasa2 trsebut,, inti nya dia cuma bisa ngomong Inggris..

Dizzy tinggal di Kairo, Mesir brsama kakeknya setelah kedua orang tua nya meninggal, impian Dizzy adlh pulang kembali ke Inggris dan menem...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Hannah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, romance, read-2011, georgian-regency-victorian, friends-to-lovers

As You Desire starts out a bit slow. I had trouble getting into it until about a third of the way into it, when the author starts writing some of the scenes from Harry Braxton's perspective. From that point on, I was hooked.

I honestly think it would be difficult for anyone to read As You Desire without falling at least a little bit in love with Harry. He is a perfect blend of roguish charm and inner vulnerability. The rest of the characters are almost equally engaging. Desdemona is not a deeply...more

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Nov 11, 2011 Dabney rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. Here are the first two paragraph of my review at All About Romance.

As I read Ms. Brockway’s much anticipated >b>The Other Guy’s Bride, I was reminded of one of my favorite featherweight films, the 1999 romantic comedy caper “The Mummy.” The novel, like that delirious movie, stars a strong willed, smart tongued English lass and a sexy, cynical swashbuckler traveling together across early 20th century Egypt, escaping bad guys, outracing sand storms and, of course,...more I really enjoyed this book. Here are the first two paragraph of my review at All About Romance.

As I read Ms. Brockway’s much anticipated >b>The Other Guy’s Bride, I was reminded of one of my favorite featherweight films, the 1999 romantic comedy caper “The Mummy.” The novel, like that delirious movie, stars a strong willed, smart tongued English lass and a sexy, cynical swashbuckler traveling together across early 20th century Egypt, escaping bad guys, outracing sand storms and, of course, falling in love. If you like your romances over the top, filled with danger, passion, and adventure, you will adore The Other Guy’s Bride.

Genisse Braxton hails from a world renowned archaeology-oriented family. Her father, Harry Braxton, is the most successful locator of tombs in Egypt; her mother Desdemona (Dizzy) Braxton is a famous and excessively brilliant linguist. Genisse’s six younger brothers too are making names for themselves in the antiquities world: The eldest of the six is an expert in embalming techniques and 18 year old Francis is a whiz at spotting — and making — forged artifacts. Genisse longs to join, even surpass, her family’s ranks. After studying ancient history at Cambridge (Ms. Brockway acknowledges she took several liberties with history; one is that Cambridge, in the early 20th century, admitted women and had a program in ancient history), Genisse becomes a glorified clerk to handsome Professor Lord Tynesborough, the youngest distinguished professor in the history of the college. One day she stumbles across an ancient bill of lading that convinces her the fabled lost city of Zerzura exists deep in the western Sahara. After doing months of surreptitious research under the watchful eye of Tynesborough, she decides to take hold of her fate. She boards a boat bound for Cairo — the city where her family lives and she grew up — determined to find Zerzura.

to read the rest of my review, go to All About Romance

http://www.likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/boo...(less)

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Nov 23, 2009 Ceci rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, historical-romance, aar-2010

What a great book!! It was so refreshing reading a book that wasn't set up in London. I loved the plot... I never can find books where portraits this kind of friendships and it was really good. You can't say that the hero and the heroine were really friends but they knew each other so well but at the same time they didn't know each other at all. They were confortable in their routine, trying to hide all the feelings that they have for each other. He was so protective of her but at the same time...more

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Nov 29, 2010 Denise rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: hot_hero, dyslexic, favorites, tearjerker, action, dark, second-read-worthy, favorite-shrine-worthy-hero-s

This book is set in Victorian era Caro, Egypt. I loved the main characters, Desdemona Carlisle and Harry Braxton. Desdemona was a child prodigy who was never allowed a childhood by her parents. When they died, she was sent to live with her Grandfather in Egypt. Harry, had a difficult childhood as a dyslexic living in England. He was tormented throughout his youth by his "affliction" which was considered to be a form of retardation. When he was thrown out of Oxford for "cheating" he went to live...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Ruth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, regency-victorian

I kind of enjoyed this one. It wasn't a struggle to finish it, and there was nothing really irritating about it, and I did enjoy the Egyptian setting, but it didn't really engage me particularly.

Both the hero and heroine are good characters, with flaws and the attraction between them is credible, also their secrets are actually pretty good, and, particularly the hero's, would have been incredibly embarrassing during that era.

The setting was fabulous, and made me think of Death on the Nile, apart...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Maggie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance-novels

I would have rated this one higher, because it was really, really good, except the pacing was so goddamn slow. About halfway through, I was like, "Come on, come on!"

I loved Desdemona. Such a bluestocking. She's snarky, she's witty, she's smart, and she has no idea how weird she is. (Usually oddball displaced Englishwomen know how weird they are and try to curb their impulses. Not Dizzy.) I loved Harry. He's so charming and such a rogue.

The story takes place in Egypt, and I liked the change from...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Meg added it · review of another edition

I was grabbed from the get go by the start of this wonderful Connie Brockway - as another reviewer has described, the introduction is marvellous - slightly drunk and belligerant heroine in the grip of a romantic fantasy discovers her romantic rescuer to be her unromantic and unscrupulous friend. It's very funny. The characters of Dizzy and Harry are both endearing and likeable and Harry's the romance is just delightful. I particularly loved Harry's scathing speech about his cousin's compliments...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Nikki rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People that love HR with a more exotic flavour.

Recommended to Nikki by: Catherine

Shelves: own-ebook, perfect-heroine, historical, favourites, delicious-hero, 4-and-a-half-stars

4.5 stars.

A straightforward and delightful read, it actually surprised me how much I enjoyed this book! It was the first HR I've read that was set in Egypt and I have to admit that I wasn't sure what to expect. I guess I was concerned that the cultural aspect of the setting would be overly descriptive and perhaps a little boring but instead I found it utterly entrancing. It allowed the characters a certain amount of freedom by not being restricted by English society and propriety and instead abl...more

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May 27, 2010 Sbuchler rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Sbuchler by: mama

Shelves: romance, read-in-2010, re-read

Genre: Historical Romance

This feels like “When Harry Met Sally” set in Egypt . It’s funny and poignant all at the same time. The heroine is Desdemona (Dizzy) Carlisle , former child-prodigy (she reads 12 different languages). The hero is Harry Braxton antiquities dealer and a charming rogue with a secret past. The setting is 1890s Cairo . Harry and Dizzy spend most of the book completely in love with each other but also completely convinced that they are all wrong for each other, which leads to...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Heliga rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, romance-historical

3.5 stars.

I can't quite put my finger on why this book wasn't a four or five-star read for me. It was reasonably well written, had a wonderful setting (although the potential of it was perhaps somewhat unrealized) and had pretty realistic characters but something was still missing; there wasn't any oumph to it.

I liked the main characters, but I didn't care that much about them. Or maybe it was the lukewarm sense of urgency. It was a bit "lather, rinse, repeat" plot-wise: misunderstand something...more

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May 30, 2011 Vicki rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Vicki by: Renee

‘As You Desire’ is the first Connie Brockway book I have read and it was so engaging I just didn’t want it to end! It is essentially a beautiful love story told in a positively entertaining manner. It has lots of details, but not too many. It’s a love story, but it’s not all love. You know how it’s going to end, but it’s not predictable. Most of all, it captures the innocence and beauty of true love.

Set in enigmatic Egypt in 1890, Harry Braxton and Desdemona Carlisle are good friends whose path...more ‘As You Desire’ is the first Connie Brockway book I have read and it was so engaging I just didn’t want it to end! It is essentially a beautiful love story told in a positively entertaining manner. It has lots of details, but not too many. It’s a love story, but it’s not all love. You know how it’s going to end, but it’s not predictable. Most of all, it captures the innocence and beauty of true love.

Set in enigmatic Egypt in 1890, Harry Braxton and Desdemona Carlisle are good friends whose paths cross daily. Their relationship is defined by friendly banter, sarcasm, competition and a strong dose of mutual infuriation.

Harry is a renowned womaniser and scoundrel who happens to suffer dyslexia. Despite this he has managed to build a very profitable business selling Egyptian antiques and sailing very close to the wind in terms of the law. As such, he's made many enemies.

Desdemona (‘Dizzy’ to Harry) is a genius at transcribing various languages and manages to keep her head above water and she and her antiques-trading grandfather housed in Cairo. She is also prone to romantic notions and dreams of dashing heroes and knights in shining armour. Once upon a time she romanticise Harry until several years ago when her amorous advances towards him were shunned. Since then she has determined to consider Harry as a friend only and accepted that he has no romantic attraction to her. Unfortunately, try as she may, she continues to hold every man she meets against Harry and inevitably they fail to stack up. So, Harry and Desdemona go about with their friendship and she tells herself that it is enough and that she is over Harry Braxton.

The situation heats up when Harry’s viscount cousin, Lord Blake Ravenscroft, arrives from England. He is immediately taken with Desdemona and pursues her relentlessly. There’s no love lost between Harry and Blake and the thought of Blake with Dizzy infuriates Harry. As Blake’s relationship with Dizzy grows Harry finally admits the truth to himself – he is irrevocably in love with Dizzy. Now, he has to make things right and win her back from his cousin’s clutches. Little does he know that Desdemona is being drawn further to Harry as every day with Blake passes. She longs for him, and he aches for her. There are many dramas along the way but eventually they find each other’s hearts and you can’t help but want them to be together forever! Five stars. (less)

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Mar 28, 2012 Krista Mercer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

An enjoyable romp through Victorian Egypt, with a rough-edged hero (Harry Braxton) and a tempestuous heroine (Desdemona Carlisle, otherwise known as Dizzy). Of course the two have a history; of course the novel begins with them "despising" each other; of course they'll end up with a happily-ever-after. The enjoyment comes from watching them get there.

The scene where Harry compares Dizzy to Egypt is truly romantic (trust me), as is the scene where he gives her a mirror inscribed with a love poem...more

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Dec 19, 2011 Vivianne rated it 3 of 5 stars

The descriptions of Egypt were wonderful and I loved the hero. The plot was interestingly complex, though many of the secondary characters were paper doll thin. I found the heroine skating the thin ice of To Stupid to Live, and there were some misused words that made me cringe. The worst was lathe for lave. Lave is one of those words that's ubiquitous in romances and seen almost nowhere else, and almost nowhere else seems to me to be where it belongs. But lathe? If you don't know it, look it up....more

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About Connie Brockway

New York Times and USAToday best selling author Connie Brockway has twice won the Romance Writers of America's Rita award for best historical romance as well as being an eight time finalist. After receiving a double major in art history and English from Macalester College, Connie entered grad school with an eye to acquiring her MFA in creative writing. Soon enough she jettisoned the idea of writin...more

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Quotes from As You Desire

“Pain is the only reward for clinging to impossible dreams." (Harry Braxton)” — 5 people liked it

“He stopped. She heard the intake of his breath. “You are my country, Desdemona.” Yearning, harsh and poignant and she felt herself swaying toward him. “My Egypt. My hot, harrowing desert and my cool, verdant Nile, infinitely lovely and unfathomable and sustaining.”

She gasped.

His gaze fell, shielded by his lashes. An odd, half-mocking smile played about his lips. “You’ll never hear old Blake say something like that.”

She swallowed, unable to speak, her senses abraded by his stimulating words, her pulse hammering in anticipation? Trepidation?

“Remember my words next time he calls you a bloody English rose.” — 4 people liked it

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As You Desire (Braxton #1)

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