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Bound by Your Touch

3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 · rating details · 1,438 ratings · 120 reviews

Beauty is as beauty does...

Silver-tongued Viscount Sanburne is London's favorite scapegrace. Alas, Lydia Boyce has no interest in being charmed. When his latest escapade exposes a plot to ruin her family, she vows to handle it herself, as she always has done. Certainly she requires no help from a too-handsome dilettante whose main achievement is being scandalous. But Sanb...more

Mass Market Paperback, 346 pages

Published June 30th 2009 by Pocket Books

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Nov 05, 2011 Dina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, dik

AMAZING! That's the word that came to my mind when I finished this book. I'm always a bit wary when I start reading a book that's been highly praised by "everyone", as sky-high expectations can turn an otherwise excellent read into a "somewhat disappointingly good" read, so I didn't know what to expect from Bound by Your Touch when I picked it up. Well, I'm glad to say that "everyone" was right and I'm joining the chorus. I loved everything about this book: James, Lydia, the secondary characters...more AMAZING! That's the word that came to my mind when I finished this book. I'm always a bit wary when I start reading a book that's been highly praised by "everyone", as sky-high expectations can turn an otherwise excellent read into a "somewhat disappointingly good" read, so I didn't know what to expect from Bound by Your Touch when I picked it up. Well, I'm glad to say that "everyone" was right and I'm joining the chorus. I loved everything about this book: James, Lydia, the secondary characters, the story...

Lydia is the oldest daughter of Henry Boyce, an archaeologist who spends a great part of his life working in Egypt. A confirmed spinster at the advanced age of twenty-six, Lydia is her father's business manager and takes care of his trading affairs in London while he's away in Egypt. Raising funds to support her father's research is one of her responsabilities, so Lydia is more than a little annoyed when James barges into one of her fund-raising meetings with some important and rich men and interrupts her speech.

James's sole goal in life is to annoy his father, the Earl of Moreland, any way he can and, unfortunately for Lydia, his father is one of the important and rich men in attendance to her meeting and James doesn't care where or when he manages to achieve his goal. James and Lydia doesn't exactly make sparks fly in their first meeting, but they are intrigued - or should I say, annoyed - enough to dedicate a thought or two to each other. A few days later, the possibility of her father being involved in trading forgeries and smuggling precious gems from Egypt leads Lydia to seek James's cooperation and that's when the story really takes off.

I fell in love with Lydia right from the start. When I finished reading the Prologue, I was already rooting for her HEA. How could I care so much for her so soon? I can only "blame" Ms. Duran's writing skills for that. As I read the following chapters, I grew to love Lydia even more. On the surface, she seemed to be all prim, proper and good, but she nurtured a well-deserved dislike of her sister Sophie, who stole and married the man she loved. I liked the fact that Lydia wasn't "perfect". I mean, aren't we all tired of the saintly heroine who, despite everything and everyone, is always understanding and forgiving? That jealous sister of her betrayed her, and Lydia was more than welcome to harbor some resentment over it. Not that she was mean or anything, but she didn't regard her sister's betrayal as something "unimportant".

As for James, I had a hard time with him at first. He was handsome and charming, but his self-destructive behavior was, like Lydia stated at one point, childish. He was constantly drunk - or trying to get drunk - and his life was dedicated to embarass and cause pain to his father, there was no other purpose in it. He had "everything" but did nothing useful with it. Or so it seemed. Slowly but gradually, I got to know what drove him and, even though I couldn't fully support the way he chose to deal with it, I understood him and, like Lydia, fell in love with him. To borrow her words, "Everyone is brave in his own way. You must not blame others if they don't fit your mold."

Lydia and James came from two very problematic families, to say the least, so it was no wonder they were dysfunctional to some extent. I like to think that it was their meeting each other that "saved" them from the dead end lives they had been living but, in the end, each dealt with his/her problem on his/her own. (view spoiler) A knight in shining armor he wasn't, and that was unusual.

The ending was bittersweet and, again, unusual. (view spoiler) I usually don't like when I'm left with "unfinished businesses" at the ending of a book, but I really didn't mind it this time around. James and Lydia had their HEA, there was no doubt about it, and everything else would work out... eventually.

This book went straight to my keepers shelf, and I can't wait to get my hands on Ms. Duran's next book.
(less)

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Jul 11, 2009 ♡KarLynP♡ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: published-2009, read-2009, genre-historical, top-100-favorites, steam-warm

Hands down one of the best historicals I've read this year. I am a sucker for a good historical romance read, and I couldn't ask for more with this book. Wonderful writing, interesting characters, a good dose of sexual tension and steamy sex, and a captivating plot. There was some cute funny moments, but mostly it is a tender and intellengent story of two opposites finding they have more in common than they first realized. This book is much better than her debut book from last year (Duke of Shad...more

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Sep 28, 2009 Fani rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-historical, 2009-purchase, angsty, hero-is-a-rake, mystery-subplot, heroine-is-stupid, heroine-is-prim-and-proper, heroine-i-wanna-shake-or-slap, heroine-miss-goody-two-shoes, paperbacks-read, dark-romance, bachelor-extraordinaire

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Miss Lydia Boyce acts as her father's 'man' of affairs, while he's down in Egypt, in excavations. The misplaced shipment of one of her father's crates, brings Lydia in contact with the rakish Viscount Sunburne, who ends up with one of her father's 'treasures', only to be revealed a fake. In her effort to find how this fake came into one of her father's crates, Lydia asks for his help, which he gladly offers, as he believes the search will relieve him from boredom.

Make no mistake, Sunburne is a...more Miss Lydia Boyce acts as her father's 'man' of affairs, while he's down in Egypt, in excavations. The misplaced shipment of one of her father's crates, brings Lydia in contact with the rakish Viscount Sunburne, who ends up with one of her father's 'treasures', only to be revealed a fake. In her effort to find how this fake came into one of her father's crates, Lydia asks for his help, which he gladly offers, as he believes the search will relieve him from boredom.

Make no mistake, Sunburne is a rake. When he's first introduced to the reader, he's inebriated from a combination of drugs and alcohol, barely able to stand on his feet. He moves within a fast set of handsome trendsetters, most of them sharing the same destroying habits as he does. He also has a great enmity towards his father, whom he will go to great lengths to provoke any way he can. Slowly though, it becomes apparent that there is a reason behind all this rakish behavior. Sunburne is far from the beautiful but superficial butterfly Lydia initially believed him to be. He has depth, wit, intelligence and fierce loyalty to those he cares for.

Lydia on the other hand, is a bluestocking spinster. Prim and proper, she's the one trying to keep her sisters and her father's business in order. She knows only two things well, namely duty and dignity. She'll do anything, and I mean anything, to keep her father's name clear and protect her family, even risk her own safety. But of course, deep down she is a woman and the hero soon uncovers her passionate nature...

I guess that by the line above, most readers will realize that I didn't like Lydia. Simply put, she ruined the book for me, which actually came lower than 4 stars, more like 3 and 1/2. My main problems arised in the last 70 pages of the book, although the beginning as well, was way too slow for my liking. So, in the end, Lydia let me down. She preached Sunburne about how love and faith are both given, rather than earned as he claimed. And in the end of course, did she stand by her words? NO, she demanded PROOF. Proof that he loved her, but also that he could and would give up his rakish habits and live a decent life. While Sunburne on the other hand, chose to love her anyway; without proof or guarantee. Because, even when she promised him to leave the matter of her father to rest and stay with him, she didn't actually. Her father meant more to her all the time, and it was only when she finally came up with the truth that she managed to overcome her infatuation with him.

To sum it up, from the whole book I loved only the middle. And it's a shame, because these pages had so much potential and emotional power. And these pages are the reason I rate this with 4 rather than 3 stars, because the slow start, the anti-climatic ending, with the hero and heroine going back and forth in their decision to be together, and the unlikable heroine would completely ruin a book for a less talented author. This does not came to parr with The Duke of Shadows for me, but I can't say I'm completely disappointed either, while I'm still looking forward to Phin's story in Written on Your Skin.(less)

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Jan 10, 2012 Kinga rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: sexy-and-lovely

Girly porn time!!

I was slightly disappointed with this one. It didn't do what I wanted it to do.

And Mariel gave it 4 stars, and she is like my Bible, so I thought I couldn't go wrong.

Anyway, it started off nicely. The premise was almost realistic and the characters acted almost like normal people. We had a bookish, no nonsense heroine who still does like a good shag (well, that's totally me), and this libertine, self-destructive hero who is not a complete idiot (just has issues with his father)....more

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Jun 22, 2009 Katie(babs) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lydia Boyce is a spinster and firmly on the shelf at twenty-six. She loved a man once, but he married her sister instead. With Lydia’s father in Egypt finding priceless artifacts, she is the matriarch of her family. She wishes she could be in Egypt with her father, but has much responsibility in England. Lydia will try to find funding for the Egypt Exploration Fund which will enable her father to continue his excavations. But things go badly when her father is accused of trading fraudulent piece...more Lydia Boyce is a spinster and firmly on the shelf at twenty-six. She loved a man once, but he married her sister instead. With Lydia’s father in Egypt finding priceless artifacts, she is the matriarch of her family. She wishes she could be in Egypt with her father, but has much responsibility in England. Lydia will try to find funding for the Egypt Exploration Fund which will enable her father to continue his excavations. But things go badly when her father is accused of trading fraudulent pieces.

James Durham, the Viscount of Sanburne loves to shock people, especially his father. He loves to bet on horses, get into boxing matches and enjoys being friends with some very undesirable people. He has a new target on his list and that is Lydia. He rudely interrupts her important talk at the Archaeological Institute where he wants to show his father a priceless artifact. Lydia knows it is a fake and after that James sets his sights on her. He thinks his father and Lydia are in cahoots together to make him look bad. But then he finds out that her father may be a fraud. Lydia cannot believe her precious papa would do such a thing. She will get to the bottom of this. And because James enjoys annoying Lydia, he will join her in her hunt for the one responsible in discrediting her father.

There is no point in Lydia trying to investigate on her own. James won’t let her out of his sight. Soon these two have teamed up. James can’t help but show his appreciation toward Lydia, which confuses her greatly. She won’t allow herself to fall in love with James. James is the type of man who enjoys the hunt and he will try and make Lydia his willing prey because she will be his salvation

Meredith Duran has made quite the splash in the historical romance world. In Bound by Your Touch, she has written an intelligent and witty romance that will be one of the must read books of the year. The dialogue is crisp and lively and her characters are in a word, lovely.

James is like a naughty little boy who enjoys getting in trouble. Lydia is the complete opposite. When these two come together, it is too good for words. Talk about opposites attracting! The banter and interactions between James and Lydia brings this story alive. They both see something special with one another that no one else can see.

Bound by Your Touch exceeded all my expectations and more. I bow down to Meredith Duran and her expertise at writing a book that makes me want to read it all over again.(less)

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Dec 29, 2010 KatLynne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: g-historical-romance, need-to-purchase, smokin-hot-steamy, 2010-reads

Wow, what can I say about this book that hasn’t already been written. This was my first novel by Duran and I admit that at first I could not seem to get into the story. There are times when, whether due to being too tired, too rushed, or too something, I just need a light read. Maybe this is what I thought this book would be. For whatever my reason, I had put this one aside for a better day.

I'm so glad I picked it up again, for this is a wonderful story, full of emotion that will draw you in un...more

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Jul 27, 2009 Mitzi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: writer-meredith-duran, genre-romance-historical, heat-3-boiling

Lydia Boyce is a spinster. Her father is an archaeologist (always away from home) and she is in charge of relating his newest findings and securing financial support so he can continue with his projects. She considers herself smart, but not beautiful like her 2 sisters. She's already been burned once (thinking herself in love, but the man choose to marry her younger sister)and now has no desire to get involved with any man.

Viscount Sanburne (very handsome and a rebel) hates his father and is al...more Lydia Boyce is a spinster. Her father is an archaeologist (always away from home) and she is in charge of relating his newest findings and securing financial support so he can continue with his projects. She considers herself smart, but not beautiful like her 2 sisters. She's already been burned once (thinking herself in love, but the man choose to marry her younger sister)and now has no desire to get involved with any man.

Viscount Sanburne (very handsome and a rebel) hates his father and is always trying to cause him embarrassment (you'll discover the reason along the way). If his father says go left, he would go right just to spite him. His father is a collector of antiquities, so Sanburne buys an artifact and brings it to the conference where he interrupts Lydia's lecture and in order for her to get some control over the discussion, she declares the artifact a fake.

Only, she finds out that this artifact supposedly came from her father and was accidentally sent to Sanburne. Now she must figure out what is going on and who is trying to ruin her family's name.

Viscount Sanburne is attracted to the spinster and they end up teaming together to find out the truth. But the truth is not always what you want it to be...is it????

I normally like my romance books a little spicier than this one, but this book is so good, that it really doesn't matter. Duran's writing style reminds me of Diana Gabaldon. She uses a lot of wonderful discriptions to enhance her story.

Here is an example of one of her witty discriptions: Lydia has little respect for Sanburne and considers him a rogue, wastrel, spoiled bum, etc. BUT he is attracted to her and so he asks her what she thinks of him (although at this point he's not sure why he cares what she thinks of him)??? She says: You're a butterfly...Aimless by nature, useless by choice and highly decorative." "Annoying, when you flap into someone's face." WHAT a great way to describe a beautiful man with no direction!!!

I gladly give this book a 5 star rating. It's a shelf-keeper IMO.

Mitzi(less)

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Jul 13, 2009 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

Many people have raved about this book, I am merely one of them. This was probably the most anticipated book - for me - of the summer.

***SOME SPOILERS POSSIBLE - read at your own risk***

Lydia is a bookish spinster, a "bluestocking", who assists her father in raising funds for his archaeological expeditions. Society alternately pities and scorns her. But James, Viscount Sandburne, is intrigued by what lays beyond her stiff exterior - because he finds himself very very attracted to Lydia, even tho...more

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Aug 08, 2009 Cam rated it 5 of 5 stars

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

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Jul 17, 2010 Tina rated it 4 of 5 stars

I did not enjoy this one as much as Duran's first romance novel. The characters didn't seem as developed. However, Duran is an amazing storyteller and the plot develops well. Duran is somewhat unconventional when it comes to personalities, attitudes, and events in her historical tales. I think that is what I enjoy most. I can't wait to crack open the next one.

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Mar 15, 2011 Eggletina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Now I see that I should have read Duran’s books in the order they were written. WoYS and BBYT share some common characters (most notably Phin, James and Elizabeth who grew up together and share the same social circle). BBYT was Duran’s 2nd novel, WoYS came directly after it, and they do seem to play off one another, though can stand alone. When I was reading WoYS, I wondered about the chronology and now discover that they actually happen concurrently, but reading BBYT first might make reading Wo...more

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Feb 20, 2013 D rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of duran, ne'er do well heirs, and bookish heroines

Shelves: erotica, romance, regency

2.5 -- 3+ for elements of characterization and protagonist chemistry; low 2s for elements of characterization

lots of good stuff in this duran read, but a lot of the success of the novel rests on the shoulders of the heroine, lydia, who fights likability by being a serially horrific judge of character.

EXAMPLE: the prologue is supposed to establish lydia as a sympathetic character when she's humiliated after the man she loves -- who's carefully courted her throughout the season and gently won her...more

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Aug 13, 2012 RomReader rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

Daughter of archeologist heroine is trying to prove to the popular Earl's son Hero that the fake Egyptian artifact he bought from 1 of her father's shipment was not intentional on her father's part. She thinks that someone else involved with her father is to blame. Hero believes she's in denial & trying to cover up for her father just like his sister did with her abusive husband. As the search goes on, they realize that the truth will affect more than just their family members.

All in all, I...more Daughter of archeologist heroine is trying to prove to the popular Earl's son Hero that the fake Egyptian artifact he bought from 1 of her father's shipment was not intentional on her father's part. She thinks that someone else involved with her father is to blame. Hero believes she's in denial & trying to cover up for her father just like his sister did with her abusive husband. As the search goes on, they realize that the truth will affect more than just their family members.

All in all, I found this Duran book to be smart yet somewhat tedious to read. The writing was clever (i.e., plot, description of locales & people's behaviors, conversation). But the somewhat circuitous conversations b/w Hero & heroine about themselves & each other made this book emotionally distancing to me. I had to read carefully to understand the nuanced discussions between them. It didn't help that each had walls that kept them from feeling their inner turmoil. There were occasional glimpses of them in touch with their emotions but not enough to increase the emotional intensity of this book. The sexual chemistry was present but again the writing & way characters were portrayed made it tepid overall. The sex scenes were generalized for the most part. The sexual details that it did have failed to draw me in as well. I just thought it was about time they finally did it but without much excitement.

Hero & heroine were too involved in helping their respective family members. It seemed like the very essence of their characters revolved around their r/s with their family members. It kept Hero & heroine from owning & taking care of their own emotional needs & wants. And it provided a good excuse to resist thinking of their feelings for each other. It was only towards the end that they started finally thinking & talking to each other more intimately. It was as if the first ¾ of the book was written in the 3rd-person and only after that did it become more like a person-to-person r/s between Hero & heroine.

Limitedly recommended.(less)

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May 04, 2012 Azhureheart rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-mf

I think it might be my favorite Meredith Duran to date. And I loved all the others, but this one, this one was just brilliant.
Lydia is an amazing, strong, character. And despite his devil-may-care attitude, James feels very deeply and it's shown almost from the start.
Both Lydia and James wore deep emotional scars, and both had issues with their families and they both need help, they both equally need the other. They really are better together. The relationship is really one of equals, it's not...more

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Mar 13, 2010 Rose Lerner rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

I have had such good luck with romances lately! This was just as good as everyone said it was, too. I loved the family stuff, its complexity and ambiguity, and I loved that there were no easy resolutions. I'm not sure how I feel about the end of the storyline with the hero's sister, but I'm hoping she'll get her own book eventually. The romance was brilliant and the reckless attraction between the protagonists was amazingly hot. This bit:

"She swallowed an animal urge: she wanted to press her fac...more

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Jul 06, 2009 Jocelyn Zombie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Everything I loved about "Duke of Shadows" with the pacing and the emotional connection problems solved. Still has a terrible cover, though. I'll be re-reading this one for years to come.

Why did I like it? Why is it so much harder to pinpoint things that I like than things that annoy me?

The heroine was beautifully portrayed, her emotions and reactions lined up perfectly. The hero's motivations unfolded slowly over the course of the book, and you could see different echoes and versions of the un...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Liv rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was recommended this book as a classic rake-meets-bluestocking (in other words, handsome ladykiller meets plain intellectual spinster) which is a common and enjoyable enough formula in regency romance. What made 'Bound by Your Touch' so memorable for me was that, whilst it hit a lot of the beats expected from this kind of story (behind her glasses, she's actually a hottie! etc), it was more than just a retread of a tried-and-tested plot. A lot of writers wouldn't done more than a shallow explo...more

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Aug 28, 2010 Katyana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: girly-books, fiction, historical

This one was a lot of fun! Though strangely, I kept envisioning the heroine as Evie, the heroine from The Mummy. But whatever, it worked for me.

The odd thing is, despite the fact that I'd guess 65% or so of the book was told from the heroine's POV, I felt more involved in the hero. His life just seemed to have so much more depth. Hers was... I don't know. Dutiful. She really had never strayed outside of her role. And I know that's not atypical of HR, but usually the heroine has some thing - a qu...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Sara ♥ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, historical, romance

3.5 stars. I had the same issue with her dialogue or something that I had last time, only worse. There wasn't enough explanation to back up the character's words and actions, and so I found myself getting lost. I'd go back and be like, "Did I skip something?" But no, I hadn't. Some parts were just kinda confusing. And some of the dialogue sounded too modern... and I did NOT appreciate the f-bomb (or was it 2?). Is that necessary in the 1880s? Really?

Anyway, this book was about Lydia Boyce, who i...more 3.5 stars. I had the same issue with her dialogue or something that I had last time, only worse. There wasn't enough explanation to back up the character's words and actions, and so I found myself getting lost. I'd go back and be like, "Did I skip something?" But no, I hadn't. Some parts were just kinda confusing. And some of the dialogue sounded too modern... and I did NOT appreciate the f-bomb (or was it 2?). Is that necessary in the 1880s? Really?

Anyway, this book was about Lydia Boyce, who is definitely a spinster (after having been jilted 4 years ago in favor of her younger, self-centered, complete heinous sister Sophie). Her father is an archaeologist in Egypt, and Lydia runs the business back in London—selling artifacts and giving speeches to try and get her father more funding. Things like that. The hero of our story is James Durham, Viscount Sanburne, who is bored by society and so he does fairly outrageous things to amuse himself. Drinks too much, boxes, gambles,.... stuff like that. My main issue with him is that he's a fop. A foppish dandy. He wears JEWELS. GAG ME! And it's mentioned like... 6 times or something. I mean, once? I can pretend it never happened, but six? Sorry, but that makes me want to punch him in the face. He's actually deeper than he apparently appears, but how can I look past his bling? I don't know if I could. Glad I wasn't born until 99 years after this story takes place. And I'm already married.

And then there were the side characters. Okay, in a story like this, the primary concern is for the hero and heroine. I'm cool with that. But if you have a secondary character who's mentioned or appears more than 3 or 4 times in the story, I need more information about that person than their name. I still don't have any idea who or what "Nello" is. I guess some guy Elizabeth follows around? But what is the nature of their relationship, really? I want to know! Especially since Elizabeth turns out to be a kind of interesting character (although she's BARELY explained, and not until like halfway through the book). Phin, we kinda gather information about as we go along, and then there's some random chick at Phin's house late in the book playing the piano, and I was like, "What the...? Who the HECK is that?" (Turns out she's the heroine of the next book, opposite Finn, so I guess the author just wanted to throw that (VERY VERY VERY VERY SLOPPILY) in there.)

I GET when author's don't want to reveal EVERYTHING about all the characters all at once, but you HAVE to give us enough so we can follow what's going on. And mentioning Nello's name 8 times during the book is NOT enough information. (Although maybe they were playing spades, and "Nello" was their bid? Could have been, for all the info Mer gave me!)

Anyway, different parts of the books made me want to rate the book different things:

3 star parts: the jewels, the f-bomb, the confusing dialogue, the way the story doesn't really flow, the side characters that are never really explained, even though they're mentioned a lot

4 star parts: the interesting mystery element, Sanbourne's issues with his father about his sister (the best part of the whole book), how Lydia isn't as wilting or boring as people mistake her for

3.5 star part: the overarching theme of the book, which revolved around how we aren't always what we portray to society... we wear masks... I didn't think the concept was developed enough.

So 3.5 stars. I really quite enjoyed it, but there were things that bugged me.(less)

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Jan 29, 2013 Claudia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance

this book was a fantastic, enjoyable and beautifully written read - especially in regard to conversations between the two main characters and how they develop and learn from each other.

Lydia is a special character because she shows all the problems which Spinsters in this time had. there is no favourable description of the dependency to your relations and the pity society shows you. but she is nevertheless a strong woman who tries to live her life within the laws of society and who, without rea...more

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Jan 25, 2010 Willow Brook rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

There is a lot to like in this book, starting with the hero. It is fun to watch the decadent Viscount Sanburne respond, often with delight, to the proper and often disapproving spinster Lydia Boyce. The two team up to address Ancient Egyptian forgeries and jewel smuggling that Lydia's father seems to somehow be caught up in.

For some reason, I thought there was going to be more action in the book but the forgery subplot moves at a fairly leisurely pace. The real story is Sanburne and Lydia falli...more There is a lot to like in this book, starting with the hero. It is fun to watch the decadent Viscount Sanburne respond, often with delight, to the proper and often disapproving spinster Lydia Boyce. The two team up to address Ancient Egyptian forgeries and jewel smuggling that Lydia's father seems to somehow be caught up in.

For some reason, I thought there was going to be more action in the book but the forgery subplot moves at a fairly leisurely pace. The real story is Sanburne and Lydia falling in love and learning to trust each other despite their past traumas and current pain. They both have their share of angst.

Sanburne's family can barely communicate with each other in any sort of direct way other than displays of anger and contempt. His rage at his father and guilt over his sister who is in an asylum drive his life of apparent debauchery and uselessness. But he is becoming bored with being bad for four long years.

Enter Lydia who hides her true self and feelings from society and even her family. Stuck in the role of bluestocking spinster, she believes herself unattractive. Further, she is starting to live on the fringe or her social set and feels obliged to always be circumspect in order to be tolerated by those around her. While she takes pride in her intelligence and learning, she struggles with her longing for adventure, love and a family of her own.

Sanburne and Lydia deal with their various internal conflicts, conflicts with each other, increasing mutual attraction and finally falling in love. Their investigation into the forgeries takes them to a variety of interesting locales - from dangerous London slums to risque Victorian house parties. The dialogue between the two is often very amusing and the story at times touching. I found Lydia's personal issues more believable than Sanburne's more dramatic family dynamics.

I give this book a solid four stars. I would have preferred a bit more of a page turner, but I truly enjoyed watching Sanburne and Lydia interact and build a new life together. It was a compelling read in its own quiet way.

(less)

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Dec 03, 2011 Stevie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: animosity-to-lovers, feisty-heroine, regency

I really like Meredith's writing style. I would say she is going to be added to my favorite author list. She develops her character very well with intelligence and depth. I loved how she managed inner dialogue for her main characters. Normally, I grow tired of that style quickly and in most books it becomes redundant, but not so in Bound By Your Touch. MD illustrated the character's complete thought process in an almost poetic manner but with complexity of intellect, from concept to epiphany. I...more

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Jun 04, 2010 Sandy Williams rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

I have a new favorite author. This book was brilliant. The writing, the characters, the plot, everything was damn near perfect. Meredith Duran is the reason I will never, ever try my hand at writing historical romance. There's no way in hell I could even come close to writing a book as well as she does.

I loved James. He was a complete scoundrel. I loved the scenes where he was inebriated (or high or whatever?). I loved and mostly understood the reasons for his behavior. I loved his banter with L...more

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Dec 22, 2009 Amanda Westmont rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was so well crafted and beautifully written that it will go down as one of my all-time favorites. The writing was just... exquisite. For example:

"She pursed her lips. The movement exposed a hit of dimple. In conjunction with her starchy manner, it seemed wholly incongruous. A mere anatomical fluke, he told himself, just a trick of her tightened lips. Nevertheless, he found himself staring at it, wondering what he might do to make it deepen. Breathy gasps, flashing dimples: the idea cam...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Andy rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was really quite good once I got into it, however I had to read a quarter of it to do so. The beginning is too slow and the characters were hard to like at the start. They grew on me later on... . The end was too short, I would have loved a scene where Lydia's sisters found out she was marrying a really "pretty" and popular man. Duran totally skipped that which irritated me to no end since Lydia's sisters spend the entire story making remarks as too how ordinary, plain, bookish and bor...more

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Jul 10, 2009 Kim H rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: keeper

An emotionally powerful & engrossing effort by Meredith Duran, but it lacks some of the punch, and much of the originality, of Duke of Shadows. Duran is a brilliant, gifted writer, but this book felt somewhat like watching an immensely talented aerialist opt to use a safety net. Where DOS was daring & innovative, Bound by Your Touch felt all too familiar. However, it's almost petty to quibble about something so clearly exceptional, simply because it wasn't what I expected, and this story...more

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Jan 15, 2010 Isalys rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned, favorites, historical-romance

Lydia Boyce is the eldest daughter of Henry Boyce, an archeologist who has spent a large part of his life digging in Egypt in search of rare artifacts. Lydia lost the man she loved to her sister and by 26 years old, accepted her fate as spinster and head of the family. One of her responsibilities was securing funds for her father's expedition(s). She was attempting to do this during a meeting with some very important and wealthy gentlemen when she was rudely interrupted by James Durham, Viscount...more Lydia Boyce is the eldest daughter of Henry Boyce, an archeologist who has spent a large part of his life digging in Egypt in search of rare artifacts. Lydia lost the man she loved to her sister and by 26 years old, accepted her fate as spinster and head of the family. One of her responsibilities was securing funds for her father's expedition(s). She was attempting to do this during a meeting with some very important and wealthy gentlemen when she was rudely interrupted by James Durham, Viscount Sanburne. James, by all accounts, had only one purpose in life and that was to make his father miserable. It seems he was the Victorian frat-boy spending most of his nights drunk gallivanting around town and his days hungover.

Needless to say that upon first meeting, the only sparks that flew between Lydia and James were sparks of irritation. She was angry that he would dare interrupt her meeting and he was angry that she would making him look foolish by proving him wrong in front of everyone attending the meeting, including his father. What neither one of them knew at that moment, was that their encounter was the catalyst for the end of a career and the beginning of a love affair.

I loved Lydia's character. She was a proper Victorian miss while being intelligent and educated which is something that I respect in female characters. She was innocent when it came to love and intimacy, but still had a hint of daring and a sarcastic streak that intrigued James and made her fun to read. James took a little longer to warm up to because it seemed he was nothing more than a rake. However, it's not until you learn more of James' family history that you begin to understand the reasons for his behavior. As a reader, you begin to understand James right along with Lydia. His need to drink was his way of burying with a guilt that he couldn't shed. (No spoilers here!)

James and Lydia both came from troubled families. What they had no way of knowing is how during the course of their relationship, their own relationships with their families would change drastically and they would learn that they must only trust each other.

This was the first of Meredith Duran's novel and I became an instant fan of her work. I found her writing to be very intelligent and witty! The plot was captivating, heart-breaking but hopeful all at the same time. It takes true talent to pull that off :) Everything about the story simply made sense from character reactions to the pacing. Not to mention that the banter between the hero & heroine was amusing. A book that can make me smile gets a thumbs up from me!(less)

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Aug 25, 2010 Kalynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

I stayed up late into the night reading this book, and in the end, I did enjoy it. I like Meredith Duran's writing and her attention to character development. The one problem I had with this was that I felt distanced from the story. I'm not sure if this was due to to the occasionally over lush language or something else. Even with the beautiful writing and the well structured scenes, the book occasionally felt like an ethnography rather than a romance novel.

My problems, however, are minor, and I...more

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Nov 07, 2010 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really don't know what to say about this book. It took me over 200 pages to start really liking it and then I just loved the ending. There were a lot of things I didn't like about the beginning; James' sister's situation, James' and friends' drug use, Lydia's treatment by Sophie, and so on. James certainly wasn't a very empathetic character at the beginning and even though I liked Lydia, my lack of empathy for James tended to put me off of the entire book. But by the end, everything just fit t...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Mey Buentipo rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-historical-romance

This is the first book I read from this author. From all the good reviews I say I am a bit disappointed. For it didn't start good. The paced of the story is a rumble. I don't know what is climax of the story. It kept going to a different pace. There are parts that both the h/h are frustrating. They are unresolved matters about the heroine's family. I can't see, where is the story really focused. Although not all part is bad, some part went good when the story had direction. I am debating if I wi...more

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About Meredith Duran

MEREDITH DURAN grew up enamored of British history. At thirteen years old, she made a list of life goals that included writing romance novels, trying sushi, and going to London to see Holbein’s portrait of Anne Boleyn. Now a doctoral student in anthropology, she is happy to report that all three goals have become her favorite things to do. When not studying, doing fieldwork in India, or working on...more

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Quotes from Bound by Your Touch

“He smiled. "How kind of you to confirm what I already know. Perhaps next you will introduce me to myself. I hear I am quite popular.” — 42 people liked it

“It means that you are my freedom, love."

"Yes," she whispered. That was it exactly. "And you are mine.” — 5 people liked it

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