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Written on Your Skin

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 834 ratings · 99 reviews

THE SOCIETY BEAUTY WHO SAVED HIS LIFE ...

Beauty, charm, wealthy admirers: Mina Masters enjoys every luxury but freedom. To save herself from an unwanted marriage, she turns her wiles on a darkly handsome stranger. But Mina's would be hero is playing his own deceptive game. A British spy, Phin Granville has no interest in emotional entanglements ... until the night Mina sav...more

Mass Market Paperback, 357 pages

Published July 28th 2009 by Pocket Books

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Dec 18, 2009 Barbara M. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favorites

5 Stars...I LOVED it!!!

..."He had a great deal of potential, and her body wanted to realize it all for herself. He seemed to feel it as well, for his hand began to linger and his expression grew sober, despite the merriment all around. When the fiddle slowed, his hands did not release her. In the small space between their bodies, a current was building that brought her closer to him; she could not move away even if the world rushed in between them. A warm breeze scudded through the crowd, perfum...more 5 Stars...I LOVED it!!!

..."He had a great deal of potential, and her body wanted to realize it all for herself. He seemed to feel it as well, for his hand began to linger and his expression grew sober, despite the merriment all around. When the fiddle slowed, his hands did not release her. In the small space between their bodies, a current was building that brought her closer to him; she could not move away even if the world rushed in between them. A warm breeze scudded through the crowd, perfumed with celebration: burnt sugar, the sourness of beer, the warm, golden scent of hay. Here was life in all it's sweetness, surprising her when she least expected it, twisting forethought into revelation, reminding her that plans sometimes proved unnecessary, that occasionally everything came together spontaneously as though the universe were an ever-resolving patter that wanted to please her in the end. They stared at each other and as the music started up again, neither of them moved. He reached up to dislodge a strand of hair from her eyes and for a moment, her stomach falling, she thought that his intentions ended there. But then the slow stroke of his fingertip traveled onward, past her cheekbone, down her jawline, along her neck to the edge of her bodice. Fire trailed in it's wake, and a shiver broke across her skin. "You are a puzzle," he murmured. "I am," she agreed. "I give you fair warning, Miss Masters. I mean to unravel you." Later, she would think back to this moment and wonder at how easily she dismissed his caution, discarding so many years of hard lessons, so much wisdom so painfully accrued. But now the words made her breath catch, and she could think of nothing better than finding out how he meant to do it"...

"Try it," she said...

There was just something so very very special about this book...I've never read anything by this author, but let me tell you...I got this story...I feel like I was in this writers mind and I just knew and felt every emotion she was trying to portray. This isn't your average romance novel, there's actual depth to these characters and you'll find yourself really knowing them like you've known them forever.

I'm completely shocked that this novel gets any ratings under a 4 Star because I'm telling you right now that this is a damn good book!

My "All-Time Favorites" list just got a book larger...

(less)

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Aug 04, 2009 Rane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: victorian-romance, not-my-cuppa-tea

Life in a golden cage has worn thin for Mina Masters as she forced into a unwanted marriage, thinking to disgrace herself enough to avoid matrimony she sets her sights on the american Mr.Monroe who also happens to be a British spy Phin Granville. Phin charged to go after an arms dealer who happens to be Mina stepfather, but when he’s poisoned, it’s up to Mina to save him. After getting away, four years later, Phin has a title to rid himself and getting out of the game of espionage, but when a l...more Life in a golden cage has worn thin for Mina Masters as she forced into a unwanted marriage, thinking to disgrace herself enough to avoid matrimony she sets her sights on the american Mr.Monroe who also happens to be a British spy Phin Granville. Phin charged to go after an arms dealer who happens to be Mina stepfather, but when he’s poisoned, it’s up to Mina to save him. After getting away, four years later, Phin has a title to rid himself and getting out of the game of espionage, but when a letter comes his way with Mina asking for help, he drawn one last time into the dark game with Mina and his lives on the line.
As Mina and Phin draw deeper into in the game both start to see that there’s more then meets the eye in each other and behind their mask as their dark game starts to fire their desire in one another.

It was hard to rate this book ,while I enjoyed it greatly there was a few parts that kinda turned out iffy for me. The first half of the book felt blah and dragged somewhat as you learn a little about Mina and Phin, many of the thought monologue were somewhat jumble not giving you a clear picture making you think not only has the character wander off in thought but the author as well. The frist half gives you the mere bare bones of the plot. The only golden moments where Phin and Mina’s banter.

The second part was where the action and the character development really begin, I found Mina’s character at times was very hard to like, she was clever and used her smarts in order to survive the harsh treatment and world after helping Phin escape. At times I really liked her as the mask she worn to protect herself slipped and the mature woman emerge, but almost like one step forward one step back she would do something immature making me roll my eyes. It was cute and understandable when she acted feather brain in the beginning then it became old. Phin also hid himself behind masks of his own making, trying to live beyond the abuse of his father, which was never fully explain or expanded more in a greater detail. Phin came across as cold and in control all the time, his mask was the first to slip and what you see beyond is a sad and lonely mapmaker. The relationship between Phin and Mina was hot, but instead of feeling love between them it almost came across as a sex game for dominance, I liked Phin as he gave over the control to Mina who thought she had one up on him, but making her come across as naive instead of worldly when the tables turned on her. *winks*

Both had major trust issues, and who in their right mind could fault them for it with such troubled pasts, but Phin showed more maturity as he laid it out on the line before Mina, Mina acted more mule-headed coming across spoiled rotten and not thinking more with her head. Although she had some wise words and thinking toward the end for Phin that made him turn around his life and look at it closely, I thought to myself “Why didn’t you act like this sooner?”
I really loved the duo as they finally let their masks slip off and show themselves to each other, it made me smile as they finally learn to trust one another.

I sometimes didn’t understand why Mina risked her neck for her Mother who always came across as ungrateful. Her daughter risked her life and she was more worried about her dress of acting right in public or staying in a prsion of her own making. Her words about Mina always landing on her feet didn’t fill me with heartfealt love toward her even when Mina reveled a past story. Also the unanswer question of how Mina’s mother landed in this mess was never answered.

Overall: a great book with a slow first half, with some sexy scenes between two people hiding behind masks as it breaks apart and their shown they can trust and love without conditions or prisons to bind them, an amazing story even with itfaults!(less)

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Jul 30, 2009 Katie(babs) rated it 5 of 5 stars

My expectations are very high when it comes to a Meredith Duran books. The romances she pens do not have a simple storyline where boy meets girl, they go on an adventures and their happily ever is pretty much a given. Written on Your Skin is a gut retching journey, not only for the two main characters but for the reader. I hardly ever cry while I read and I did with Written on Your Skin. *Shakes fist at Meredith*. Written on Your Skin is a beautiful, all encompassing experience. Meredith makes s...more My expectations are very high when it comes to a Meredith Duran books. The romances she pens do not have a simple storyline where boy meets girl, they go on an adventures and their happily ever is pretty much a given. Written on Your Skin is a gut retching journey, not only for the two main characters but for the reader. I hardly ever cry while I read and I did with Written on Your Skin. *Shakes fist at Meredith*. Written on Your Skin is a beautiful, all encompassing experience. Meredith makes sure to bring forth every emotion. And those who wish to write their own historical romance, take note. Meredith Duran is becoming a master writer of this genre. Learn from her.

The year is 1880, the setting is Hong Kong, Tokyo. Phin Granville is working undercover as a British spy. He needs to take down a Mr. Gerard Collins who will soon be arrested for crimes against the British government. Phin hates this life. He doesn’t want to be a spy. It eats away at him where the stress gets to him so much that he has horrible headaches. But Phin doesn’t really have a plan or the desire to figure out what he wants in life. He does enjoy making maps, that’s for certain, and longs for the sweet release of his torments through smoking Opium. Phin is close to having a breakdown at any moment. But then Collins’ step-daughter waltzes into his life and the suffering he experiences will not compare to the run around Mina gives him. Mina is a young, brash American who flaunts herself in front of society and taunts Phin wherever he goes. When Phin first meets Mina he thinks of her as a featherbrain, a very fragile young woman who looks like a porcelain doll. Mina is full of energy and enjoys speaking what's on her mind. Mina wants Phin and even though Phin thinks he can handle Mina, he can’t. He treats her with disdain and near loathing, but underneath this façade, he wants her desperately. He hates feeling this way for a woman and can’t decide if he wants to wring her neck or screw her into oblivion.

It’s all about facades between these two. The world sees Phin one way. The same goes for Mina. Her step father beats her poor mother who is like a butterfly, fluttering against a window pane and trying to find a way to escape, but knows she can’t because she is stuck in the hell of her own making. Mina won’t be like her mother, even though she loves her dearly. Mina wants to break away and will help her mother also but running back to New York City and away from Collins. But there is a problem, and it is Phin. He is poisoned by one of Collins’ lackeys. Mina nurses him back to health and helps him get away. And because Mina does help, the horrors her mother has gone through will not compare to what Mina will endure under Collins’ hands.

Because Mina is a resourceful young woman she and her mother are able to make their way back to New York. Mina has started a very profitable hair tonic business. But Mina is now in London, four years later, searching for her missing mother. I am not sure why and how Mina’s mother is in England and again at the hands of Collins, but Mina must find her mother before she is hurt or found dead. Collins is not one you want to cross and he will take out his anger on Mina’s mama before Mina can save her. Mina is only one small woman after all. She may be resourceful but needs someone who is more skillful at the deceit and spy game. And that is Phin.

Phin never thought he would see Miss Masters again and does not want Mina in his life because she affects him in ways he cannot understand. Mina is very vulnerable even though she hides it so well. She is so good at putting on an act, one that even Phin misses at first. But he knows what game she is playing. Mina may drive him batty, but he sees her as a woman who cares for her mother and wants to save her from a horrible man before it is too late. Phin is now a rich Baron and has no choice but to help Mina. They will search across the English countryside looking for Mina’s missing mother. During this time they will come to learn and understand who each other really is and why they act the way they do towards one another. Their desire and lust will grow and grow until it can no longer be contained.

Written on Your Skin is one of the most wonderfully sophisticated books I have read this year. In the mood for a road romance? This is your book. What some hotter than hot sex scenes? The passion and heat between this duo is very intense. There is one scene where my mouth dropped because Phin is so very naughty when he expresses his desire to bed Mina. And when these two do the deed, the crude language Phin uses with Mina will shock, but in a good way. The sex between Phin and Mina is a very powerful thing because this is where they accept each other, faults and all. Phin is too pushy and acts cold and superior to Mina because the idea that she can break through his defenses he has built around himself scares him. Mina may act mature and worldly but she lashes out in ways that are very immature. It is a mechanism to protect herself. Meredith has also given Mina an adorable childhood addiction she can’t give up that equals to one sucking their thumb.

Written on Your Skin is an incredible feat of writing, one where you will read late into the night so you can soak up every detail on the page. Dark, poignant and all consuming, this book will have you awestruck because the words that Meredith Duran has written reaches deep into your soul. Written on Your Skin is one book that is a must read for 2009 and perhaps one of the best historicals of this decade.(less)

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Jun 09, 2011 .þµŋψà. [Punya Reviews...] rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: meredith-duran, no-no-no-noooo, nightmare-in-romancelandia, amnesia-hit-me-hard, bitch-slap-coming-through

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book. This one's got 2 parts.

I've just about read 8 chapters of the book and I'm very disappointed. Except for a few scenes in the beginning, the book is just slow and boring. I thought I'd love Phin from whatever I read in Bound by Your Touch but I'm wrong. He seems too cold, emotionally detached for my liking. And the heroine, Mina, I'm not really impressed by her. There are just too many 'odes' to her 'porcelain per...more

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May 04, 2010 Ilze rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: meredith-duran

I was quite disappointed with this book, considering the high rating it currently has. I liked the 2 main characters but the other characters were totally undeveloped. The plot was quite convoluted and for most of the book I could not figure out what the characters were doing or why they were doing it. Things that should have been explained early on were finally mentioned near the end of the book (e.g. why Phin hated the dreaded spymaster). Way too many loose ends, non-sequiturs and red herrings...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Megan Winget rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I'm marking this as a spoiler, because the chief enjoyment of this book is the writing.

Some favorite quotes:

p. 108:
If he thought to intimidate her through snobbery, he would have to revise his strategy. "In fact, I'm rather old-fashioned. Traditionally, we New Yorkers don't acknowledge foreign titles." / "I see," he murmured. "How awkward for you."

p. 112
He paused, studying her. "Or to anyone. And I did not mean that I lack memories, Miss Masters. It was a figure of speech only." / "Oh!" She gi...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Jane Stewart rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

90% of the book felt like filler - ponderings, and descriptions. Plot developments not shown. Weak vague dialogue.

STORY BRIEF:
Mina’s stepfather Collins was doing something illegal in Hong Kong. Phin was working undercover to catch Collins. Someone poisoned Phin’s drink and he collapsed. Mina took him to a room to recover and helped him escape. Phin worked for Ridland at that time. Four years later Collins escaped British authorities. Ridland imprisons Mina in a locked hotel room thinking she can...more 90% of the book felt like filler - ponderings, and descriptions. Plot developments not shown. Weak vague dialogue.

STORY BRIEF:
Mina’s stepfather Collins was doing something illegal in Hong Kong. Phin was working undercover to catch Collins. Someone poisoned Phin’s drink and he collapsed. Mina took him to a room to recover and helped him escape. Phin worked for Ridland at that time. Four years later Collins escaped British authorities. Ridland imprisons Mina in a locked hotel room thinking she can help him catch Collins. She escapes Ridland and wants Phin to help her find her mother. Mina believes Collins kidnapped her mother.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This is the kind of book that makes me think I am not a good reader. I had a terrible time concentrating. It was hard to read, hard to pay attention, hard to know what was going on. Maybe a different kind of mind can handle this writing style. I cannot. So many things were vague. I don’t know what happened to Collins, Mina, or her mother during the four years. Who arrested Collins and for what. How did he escape and from where and why. Mina says she liked Phin, but we never saw how they met or why she liked him. There were not enough events and actions to develop the plot. For example, Phin and Mina are on a train. Just before they get off, they suspect a man is following them because he is well dressed. So Phin presses a nerve causing the man to fall unconscious just as he and Mina leave the train. Nothing else happens regarding that man. He was never in the story before or after the train. We are never told if he was working for someone, was following them, or anything else the man did afterwards. It felt like an unrelated and isolated event to show that Phin knew how to make a man unconscious. Another example, Mina is imprisoned in a hotel room. We are told Ridland imprisoned her, but we never saw the conversation or action that put her there. The next thing you know she is out of the room. We don’t see her leaving the room. The next scene has her talking with Phin saying her servant is missing. She believes Phin may know something about it. I don’t know how she found Phin, or got to him, or if he was the one who came to her. The events are choppy, no flow.

The conversations are too drawn out with too much pondering between comments. For example on page 221 Phin tells Mina they must stay the night at the inn. She then ponders for TWO PAGES thinking about the following before she says anything. She thinks about the size of the bed, Phin’s appearance and qualities, a former guy she knew and had sex with, suffragettes, free love, contraception, sex outside of marriage, divorce is a sin, fallen women, and what Phin might teach her about sex. Then she says “Well, I suppose we are here for the night, then.” Soon after this book I was reading a John Grisham book and a Lisa Kleypas book. Their styles are enjoyable and easy to read. Neither one of them drew out conversations this way. Their style is the following: A says something. B “thinks” (maybe 1 or 2 sentences of thought, if any) and then B “says” ... These authors do not use TWO PAGES of pondering before B responds to A. Not all conversations in “Written On Your Skin” are interrupted as badly as this. But far too many of them have paragraphs of ponderings that distract from the conversation. I lose interest.

During the entire book, nothing was interesting. I kept reading or trying to read hoping something good would come. It didn’t. The dialogue between Mina and Phin was vague. She was either playing mind games or just sounding illogical. The sex scenes did nothing for me. I felt the need to skim.

DATA:
Story length: 357 pages. Swearing language: moderate, including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 3. Estimated number of sex scene pages: 23. Setting: 1880 Hong Kong and 1884 England. Copyright: 2009. Genre: historical romance.(less)

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Jun 02, 2011 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Duran's books have two elements I've come to expect from her and have quite enjoyed: first, she travels well beyond European shores (in this case, the book begins with the expat community of Hong Kong), and secondly, the mood of her stories tends to be a little darker than you might expect from the typical historical spy-romance. In this story, we have Phin-- a spy with a natural flair for his work who never wanted to be in the Game (he is not at all proud to know he has a talent for killing and...more Duran's books have two elements I've come to expect from her and have quite enjoyed: first, she travels well beyond European shores (in this case, the book begins with the expat community of Hong Kong), and secondly, the mood of her stories tends to be a little darker than you might expect from the typical historical spy-romance. In this story, we have Phin-- a spy with a natural flair for his work who never wanted to be in the Game (he is not at all proud to know he has a talent for killing and deception). And we have Mina-- a girl with a truly horrific stepfather who puts on an exceptionally good act as a frilly airhead as a matter of self-preservation. Both of them have been doing what they had to do so long that they've lost the ability to think in straight lines, and perhaps lost the ability to trust. (I found myself speculating whether Phin's "fits" are essentially PTSD episodes.)

Phin is in Hong Kong to investigate Mina's stepfather. Someone tries to do away with him, and Mina, who's been flirting with Phin in hopes of staving off the interest of an unsavory suitor, "breaks cover" to save his life. Phin escapes and never looks back.

Cut to London, several years later. Phin has come into his title and shed his spy past with alacrity. But his old boss wants him back-- Mina's stepfather has escaped and kidnapped Mina's beloved mother, and Mina will only trust Phin (whom she thinks owes her for his life) to watch her until her stepfather is recaptured. And so begins a shell game of spy and counterspy... neither Mina nor Phin know where the other stands, who they work for, who to trust... and both their lives depend on trusting each other.

The clash of these two incredibly strong-willed characters really made this book. Phin is your standard alpha male... but at the same times, he hates many of the qualities that make him what he is. For Mina, an alpha male is the LAST person she could possibly tolerate, with good reason. In another book, Mina's strongly independent, suffragette attitude could quickly become wearing... but in THIS book, her attitude is perfectly understandable, and I ached for her as she fought to find a position that was tenable to her, to make Phin understand why she couldn't sit back and be protected by a big, strong man. And all the while, there's the threat hanging over their heads, a threat that Mina is the key to solving.

Not a happy book, but definitely a gripping read. I want to see more from her like this.(less)

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Aug 28, 2010 Katyana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, girly-books, historical, spy-games

***3.5***

This one was a tough one. Something about it just sits not-quite-right with me. I think part of it is that the author tried too hard to integrate this story with Bound by Your Touch. The timelines don't quite mesh. I actually grabbed BbYT right after I finished this one, to reread the scene where Lydia (the heroine of that book) met Mina (the heroine of this book). And the timeline is just all kinds of off. Their conversation would imply that Mina was still a prisoner in Phin's house, b...more

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Jun 05, 2010 Sandy Williams rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, historical-romance

I cannot say enough about this author. She's brilliant. Her stories are sweet, exciting, and excruciating and her writing is brilliant. I don't usually notice an author's writing unless it's bad. I'm the kind of reader who just wants to know the story. I want the words to disappear when I read. Meredith Duran's words don't disappear: they come alive. I can open to almost any page in her book and find a line or two of brilliance.

I'll be honest. When I began reading this book, I didn't think I'd...more I cannot say enough about this author. She's brilliant. Her stories are sweet, exciting, and excruciating and her writing is brilliant. I don't usually notice an author's writing unless it's bad. I'm the kind of reader who just wants to know the story. I want the words to disappear when I read. Meredith Duran's words don't disappear: they come alive. I can open to almost any page in her book and find a line or two of brilliance.

I'll be honest. When I began reading this book, I didn't think I'd love it as much as Duke of Shadows or Bound by Your Touch. It seemed to take a long time for the Phin and Mina to get together. Oh, sure, there was that short scene at the very beginning, but then we had about 90 pages of character development. At the time, I thought it was too much and grew impatient. Now, however, I see the development was needed. Mina and Phin both are awesome characters in their own selves. Phin, oh, I just wanted to hug him and tell him everything was okay. He didn't need to drown his guilt with alcohol or dull it with drugs. But then, I knew I'd love Phin when I glimpsed him in Bound by Your Touch - he was mysterious and resourceful.

It was Mina who I was worried about. I didn't like her in the brief scene we saw her in Bound By Your Touch. I thought I wouldn't like this book because of her. She just seemed so girly and annoying. But that's Mina. Her disguise, at least. She ended up being a strong and brilliant character.

This book is a must read for historical romance fans. It could possibly be my favorite...

Wait. Could it be my favorite book period? The love scenes were beautifully written. The prose was lovely. The story was interesting and well-paced. I loved both the characters. There's nothing I didn't like about this book. But to call it my all time favorite? That's big. I don't think I'm ready for that yet, so I'll just call it my favorite historical romance of all time. I am curious, though, that if I had read Duran's books out of order, if the last one I read would be my favorite. Hmm. Something to ponder.

Her next book is called Wicked Becomes You. No release date yet. I'm already having withdrawals. :-((less)

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Aug 03, 2009 Jocelyn Zombie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, regency-era, victorian-era

I'm bummed that this is the last of Duran's back-to-back releases because I'm becoming such a fan of hers.

This is another fantastic, geographically sweeping, beautifully rendered romance novel with characters you could like and support without finding them too sacherine. The theme here is both of the characters are more than they seem. The heroine is more than a dumb blonde, though she's happy to play one. The hero is more than a vapid nobleman, though he wishes he could be one.

Dispite being ve...more

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Jul 31, 2009 Kim H rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: keeper

While I ultimately enjoyed this book, it's another one that I find difficult to categorize. I think Meredith Duran is a brilliant writer, but once again, I feel like she's holding back. I hate to keep harping about it, but Duke of Shadows was such an amazingly unique & original book, and as was (IMO) the case with Bound by Your Touch, Duran appears to squandering her talents on stories she should be able to write in her sleep.
I don't have a problem with spy romances per se. Certainly, I hav...more While I ultimately enjoyed this book, it's another one that I find difficult to categorize. I think Meredith Duran is a brilliant writer, but once again, I feel like she's holding back. I hate to keep harping about it, but Duke of Shadows was such an amazingly unique & original book, and as was (IMO) the case with Bound by Your Touch, Duran appears to squandering her talents on stories she should be able to write in her sleep.
I don't have a problem with spy romances per se. Certainly, I have read some good ones, but that's just the point - I've read them. What Duran gave me with Duke of Shadows was a glimpse into the undiscovered country in historical romance, and as much as I hate to sound like an ingrate, I'd really love a return trip.
Written on Your Skin is something I've seen before. Granted, I can't say that anything similar to it is on quite the same level, but in a (probably very unfair) way, that almost adds insult to injury. It's like indulging in a pointless pissing contest when you have the ability to create a flood of biblical proportions:P
And as I've freely admitted before, I know it's unfair to set the bar higher for her and not expect anything approaching literary miracles from lesser writers, but then again, it's kind of her own fault. She shouldn't have absolutely slain me with Duke of Shadows, only to follow it up with anything less emotionally devastating:P

As they already exist in abundance, I won't bother with a synopsis of this story. Phin was an intriguing secondary character from Bound by Your Touch, and while I didn't expect another DoS, I did anticipate a certain level of greatness. Allusions to opium smoking and a background in the spy biz certainly lent him a certain mystique as a tortured hero with an interesting past. Mina, the heroine, came across well in her opening scenes as a woman of hidden depth. I was more than a little curious as to how Duran meant to reveal her character, given that while Phin found her attractive, he initially took her very much at face value as a brainless flibbertigibbet. Kudos to her for the well paced and engrossing character development of a heroine - something you don't get to see every day, as many writers seem to think that this level of character development should be solely reserved for heroes. I found both characters fully dimensional, likable people, and I enjoyed reading about them. Where I initially had trouble with them was as a couple. I couldn't really see how they were going to come together as a couple; they just didn't seem to have a lot of chemistry together.
Duran blows that out of the water in the second half of the book, although I didn't find the transition completely seamless. Mina's internal monologue works well in terms of helping the reader come to terms with her increasing trust of and strengthening attraction to Phin, but even with the constant surprises Mina throws at him, I never really felt that he wanted her all that desperately until he starts to act on it. Once they get between the sheets is when Phin & Mina turn into a really scorching couple, and the depth of all those repressed feelings they have for each other becomes apparent. Where I had trouble remaining attentive in part one, I was positively riveted in part two.
The external conflict was interesting, if not fully engrossing. My biggest quibble with it being that the reveal regarding the villain and his actual role in the conflict was a bit deflating. As quibbles go, it's not a very large one though. All of the necessary elements for a good suspense build up were present, and while Mina did fall into the heroine who refuses to sit on the sidelines & allow the hero to take care of the dangerous stuff routine, her reasoning & motivations were definitely more genuine and much easier to relate to than is usually the case.
I gave Written on Your Skin a *somewhat* generous A-. In some ways, it's not as good as Bound by Your Touch, and in others (the H&H and the romance in the second half) it slightly surpasses it.
Just don't expect either book to be comparable to Duke of Shadows. It's just vaguely possible that Duran may never outdo herself there.(less)

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Oct 17, 2011 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is only a three because I can't decide if it's really a two or a four. That is, is this book below average or above?

We have:

Mina Masters, a seemingly featherbrained beauty who flits her way through Hong Kong society with her mother, Harriet, a classic domestic abuse victim married to Collins, the abuser. After throwing herself at and subsequently rescuing Phin in Hong Kong, Mina pays the price for crossing Collins, moves to America with her mother, and begins a successful hair tonic busine...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Janusz rated it 2 of 5 stars

A huge disappointment after Ms Duran's magnificent The Duke of Shadows and the slightly more orthodox but still enjoyable Bound by Your Touch.

Fifty pages into the paperback edition of this book I gave up and put it aside. A few weeks later I decided to try again, starting from the beginning as I'd already forgotten the convoluted and confusing start to the book. The second time around I managed to finish it, but only by reading 20-30 pages at a time and then taking a break for a day or two.

The c...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Michael Schmid rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Also irgendwie wusste ich von Anfang an nicht, was ich von diesem Buch halten soll und dieses Gefühl hat sich leider auch durch das ganze Buch durchgezogen. Einerseits hat mir die sprachliche Gewalt und die Formulierungen der Autorin sehr gut gefallen, auf der anderen Seite war ich vom Schreibstil her sehr verwirrt und wusste oft nicht mehr, wo im Buch ich mich jetzt eigentlich befinde, da ich eben den Anschluss während des Lesens verloren habe.

Dann wären wir auch schon bei den Protagonisten ang...more

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Feb 20, 2013 D rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: stubborn duran fans determined to read her entire oeuvre

Shelves: erotica, romance, victorian

2.5 stars -- unlikable stealth-feminist heroine masquerading as fool

many of duran's greatest strengths are evidenced in this novel -- a slow burn between the protagonists, a feminist heroine defending her own, a hero's maturing psychology of women and particularly his love interest. but i so disliked the heroine that i couldn't psychologically invest in this novel.

mina masters is superficially a flighty, silly, fluffy girl with a knock-out figure and, i imagine, a betty boop voice. in actuality,...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was not my favorite Meredith Duran book. In fact, it's probably at the bottom of the list. Meredith Duran has a lyrical quality to her writing and the ability to get you into her character's heads, which I greatly enjoy. Her writing ability is why I gave the book a four star rating.

I had trouble identifying with the main character, Mina. She appeared to be extraordinarily manipulative of others. Phin, I did like better. Even though he was a tortured soul he seemed to have a greater capacit...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Sara ♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, historical, romance

Oh, gosh. Mina and Phin. I remember liking them. I know I jotted down some notes about this book, but I can't find the scrap of paper! Grrr! Let me brainstorm a bit.

- Mina is white-blonde and acts like a ditz so people won't suspect how intelligent she is. She has an evil stepfather. They were in Hong Kong, for some reason, and Phin was pretending to be an American working undercover (he's a mapmaker-turned-spy-assassin) trying to get step-dad..... And he gets found out and almost dies (poison)....more Oh, gosh. Mina and Phin. I remember liking them. I know I jotted down some notes about this book, but I can't find the scrap of paper! Grrr! Let me brainstorm a bit.

- Mina is white-blonde and acts like a ditz so people won't suspect how intelligent she is. She has an evil stepfather. They were in Hong Kong, for some reason, and Phin was pretending to be an American working undercover (he's a mapmaker-turned-spy-assassin) trying to get step-dad..... And he gets found out and almost dies (poison). And Mina saves his life, by feeding him lots of.... opium, I think? (Not sure how THAT'S supposed to work, but I know nothing about poison or drugs and I only took the one chem class in college 10 years ago, so... *shrugs*)
- Four years later.... Step-dad escapes from prison. She gets taken into a sort of protective custody, or something, by Phin's former superior (Phin has unexpectedly inherited a title and money I believe), but she tells the superior she wants PHIN'S help, not his. Phin HATES the superior guy, and thinks Mina is working for him.
- And then I'm going fuzzy. I believe he locks her up in his house, so she can't escape and get hurt. Step-dad has her mom.

Anyway, sorry. I read this like 2 weeks ago (that is a long time in Sara-time), and it took me 5 days (also a long time in Sara-time), cuz my mom was in town. *reading reviews* Oh yeah!

Okay, so I DO remember that this book overlaps with the last one, but I wish there had been more to that, rather than just a brief glimpse of Mina in book 2, and nothing in this one. And I remember there being a kind of THEME about the masks we wear in front of others, which Phin and Sarah both definitely had, and letting each other in... to see who they really were. I got it, but I thought it could have been emphasized more. I thought it was too subtle.

Everyone is talking about how HOTT Phin and Mina were, but I don't remember! I DO remember that Meredith Duran has an affinity toward the F-BOMB, which I never EVER appreciate. I do remember that the hero and heroine went well together, although I don't remember what their issues were. Meh. I'm over this review.(less)

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Dec 31, 2012 Ariana rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book had me all over the place. The start was so promising and then I'm not sure what happened. The story seemed to go in five different directions. Then all of a sudden half way in it got good, for like two chapters. I have no idea what the characters were talking about! It made no sense. Oh, and the H/h. There were aspect about them that I liked, but overall they could not be more annoying! Mina in particular irritated so much! There is nothing I hate more than a character harping on some...more

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Jan 17, 2010 The Romance Reviews (Carole) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

Written On Your Skin can be summed up this way: Mina Masters saved the life of Phineas Granville, British spy, in Hong Kong at a certain cost. Four years later, they meet again, and Mina calls in the debt he owed her to save her mother. Yet, Meredith Duran paints the journey of their hearts in heartbreakingly beautiful detail. I've read a lot of romances over the years, and Phin and Mina's love scenes were some of the best that I've read, because of the words Meredith Duran employed, the emotion...more

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Dec 12, 2011 Jenn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Oh my. I read Duran's first, The Duke of Shadows just a little while ago and I liked it a lot. So I made sure to pick up any I saw out at the used book store. I came away with 3 more. They aren't related to each other, as far as I know, but I decided to read this one next, because it was written next (of the ones I had, anyway).

This was just awful. The story didn't flow well at all. A lot of things didn't seem to make sense...like I was missing some information, but not in the way that made me w...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, best-of-the-genre, desert-isle-books

Good science this is a fucking incredible romance. Phin and Mina's journey together grabs you by the heartstrings from the very beginning and won't let go. I was absolutely sucked in by the sheer chemistry these two characters possessed - it's a rare thing indeed in this age of romance novelists just using physical attraction as a shorthand for true connection.

It's a rare romance that can leave you racing to the end wondering if the characters will be able to end the story actually with each ot...more

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Aug 01, 2009 Nisha rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who are looking for more from a romance novel

Shelves: historicalromance, marriage-of-convenience-or-arranged

The writing is amazing and the characters are deep and plot is definitely unique. It's a great novel, if you are in a mood for something angsty and deep. Mina is hard to actually relate to, considering her thoughts and background, but she is quite likable, considering that she fought to be where she is but still has a heart. Phin, in all ways but one, is the perfect brooding man. His demons linked with his opium addiction. It is a theme that I would never consider workable, but obviously it did....more

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Jan 07, 2013 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars

At first I thought it was boring, at times it felt like things were going no where slowly until I realized I needed to shift my gears. Meredith Duran's writing is superb. I think Mina is probably one of a handful of fantastic Heroines ever written in this genre. I fell in love with her immediately. So very layered. Phin and I had a harder time,but at the end of the book I loved him just the same. There are some really hot scenes in this book and I did love Phin's filthy mouth. I thought the endi...more

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Jan 03, 2010 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, romance

I was pointed at Meredith Duran's Written on Your Skin by way of a link posted to Smart Bitches Trashy Books, and I've got to say that I was pleased at the pointing. Certainly for most of this book, I was treated to some delightfully caustic chemistry between the heroine and hero. Our heroine Mina is a young woman of delicate beauty who has been unabashedly letting everyone think she's an airhead to disguise the fact that she's diabolically clever; our hero Phineas, an English nobleman and spy.

T...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Jill rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: suspense, romance, historical

This one just didn't do it for me. It rambled way too much, was confusing, and kept the reader in the dark for too long. I felt like it was trying to be smart, sophisticated, and witty, but fell far short of this lofty goal. Instead it was confusing, and well, rambling. The copy I had stated on the back that it was the sequel to "Bound by Your Touch," but really, Sanburne only show up a few times and it seems as though they are parallel in time, rather than this one taking place after BBYT, whic...more

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Jan 10, 2011 Princessjay rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

I LOVE this heroine. Love her. Love her. This is the kind of women I always want to read about: more self-possessed (most of the time) than the hero without diminishing his masculinity and beauty (heh); truly intelligent and capable, as demonstrated through dialogue and actual action. A sense of agency and knowledge of herself leads to an excellent overall package.

The espionage plot line, however, turned out something of a tempest in a teapot. But I like what happens between the main characters,...more

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Aug 02, 2010 B rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: romantic suspense readers

Shelves: favorites

This is my favorite of Meredith Duran's books so far. Part of my preference is that I love a book where:

The heroine is not exactly what she seems--in Mina's case, she plays a flighty, spoiled society girl. Reason for the ruse? Getting herself and her weak-willed mama away from a monster.

The hero has a dark side. (No space here to delve into bad boys and why we love 'em! Just a fact of life.)

The protagonists drastically change their minds about each other--but the author leads slowly, so that it...more

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May 30, 2011 Karenna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, read-in-2011

I began reading this book immediately after I finished the amazing Duke of Shadows. Unfortunately, while this book was a solid 3 stars, it in no way lived up to the promise of Duke of Shadows. My main problem with this novel was the lack of relationship development between Phin and Mina. I believed in their attraction to each other, but I was never fully convinced of their love. I also took issue with the number of unresolved plot points that were never fully wrapped up to my satisfaction. All i...more

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Feb 03, 2010 Samantha rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

I hate to give this book two stars but it was really hard to get through. While it is well written and the author clearly knows what she is talking about it, it was boring. I don't know if it is because I read so many good reviews that I hyped it up too much in mind or what. I couldn't feel the romance in the book. It took too long for me to understand why the characters should be together. There was also alot of inner dialogue. I love to know what the characters in a story is thinking about but...more

4 likes · like · see review

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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 Written on Your Skin

“Miss Masters was not content with threatening to hire away his staff, oh no. First, she had to perfume it.” — 3 people liked it

“She had told herself she should be reassured by his squeamishness; a man who balked at scars would not give her new ones. Now she suddenly wondered if she’d had it wrong. A man without scars would always underestimate their value. He would not see them as marks of courage.” — 3 people liked it

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