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Lord of Fire (Knight Miscellany #2)

4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 · rating details · 2,321 ratings · 105 reviews

Gaelen Foley has become one of the hottest new writers in romance, enticing her readers with bold love stories that burn with emotional intensity. Now in new novel, she presents her most unforgettable hero yet, the irresistible Lord of Fire.

After years of preparation, he has baited his trap well, luring the depraved members of Society into his devil’s playground so he can...more

Mass Market Paperback, 432 pages

Published March 26th 2002 by Ivy Books (first published January 2nd 2002)

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Aug 11, 2012 Crista rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-star, historical, series, bad-boys, favorites, hot, kindle, reformed-rake

First read Oct. 2007, Re-read August 2012

I finished reading this book in 1 day.

This is Lucian's story. The "fallen" twin who just never quite measures up to his brother. A spy who hosts "orgies" in his underground grotto to gain useful information for national security. A man who is the verge of personal collapse. He has seen, experienced, and performed dispicable acts of humanity and is completely disenfranchised with everyone and everything. He is alone.
Enter Alice Montague.

She is his oppo...more

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Sep 29, 2008 Julie (Mom2lnb) rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Regency Romance Fans

Shelves: desert-island-keepers, historical-romance, read-2008

Lord of Fire was a fabulous book that has a little bit of everything: heart-pounding action and suspense, spy intrigue, history, and best of all, swoon-worthy romance. Galen Foley's writing style contains a richness of detail that vividly brings to life the world she has created, making me feel like I had actually been transported to another time and place. It is apparent to me through reading her books and looking at her website that Ms. Foley is meticulous with her historical research, and it...more Lord of Fire was a fabulous book that has a little bit of everything: heart-pounding action and suspense, spy intrigue, history, and best of all, swoon-worthy romance. Galen Foley's writing style contains a richness of detail that vividly brings to life the world she has created, making me feel like I had actually been transported to another time and place. It is apparent to me through reading her books and looking at her website that Ms. Foley is meticulous with her historical research, and it definitely shows in her writing. I also loved that the author kept me on my toes throughout the story. Every time I thought that she was going to resort to some well-worn plot device, she surprised me. There were many times I thought that Lucien and Alice were going to have the “big misunderstanding,” but then not long after a confession would be forthcoming. They did have a few quarrels, which can often be irritating to me, but in this case, I found them to be genuine issues that a couple in their circumstances might actually have to face, rather than just petty bickering. Even though there were a couple of things that I predicted would happen early on, it did not detract from my enjoyment of the novel, because there were plenty of things that didn't go as I expected. I normally am not a fan of love at first sight stories, but Ms. Foley managed to make me believe in this couple's love for one another and a lasting happily-ever-after, even though they had only know each other for a short time. She accomplished this by creating a deep emotional connection between Lucien and Alice, as well as between the characters and the reader, by having them get to know each other fairly intimately before sharing physical intimacies. Admittedly, the love scenes are few, but I found the sexual tension to be exquisite and laden with tender emotions. All in all, Lord of Fire was a very well-rounded story that kept me excited about reading it.

Lucien and Alice were a wonderful and perfectly matched couple. In spite of his charming personality, Lucien is a tortured soul. Working deep undercover as a spy for the Crown, he lives a dark, rather solitary existence. Personally knowing someone who has done deep cover law enforcement work and having heard some of his stories, I felt that the aloneness and soul-searing intensity of Lucien's work was very realistically rendered. It was a fabulous contrast of dark and light, and doing things you really don't want to for the greater good. Lucien loved his twin, Damien, deeply, and their recent estrangement over Lucien's choice of professions has left him feeling more alone then ever. Yet, Lucien has always felt like he was living in his brother's shadow and never quite measuring up. When Alice unexpectedly shows up in Lucien's life she brings the light of her innocence and goodness into his darkened world, making his heart long for things he thought lost to him forever. When Lucien used trickery and manipulation to keep Alice at his country estate, I wasn't sure I would like him, but aside from that one lapse, he behaved in a gentlemanly way for the remainder of the book, which endeared him to both me and Alice. I thought Alice was a very well-balanced heroine. She was kind, caring and intuitive, understanding Lucien in a way that most people didn't, and he reciprocated in kind. She also had spunk and spirit, speaking her mind to both Lucien and her sister-in-law, Caro, when the circumstances warranted. There were a few time when Alice's spunk led her into potentially dangerous situations, but I felt like I generally understood her reasoning and that she was usually just trying to protect those she loved. Overall, I found Lucien and Alice to be a delightful couple who were a pleasure to read.

The palette of secondary characters was varied and interesting. Lucien's rogues were charming and entertaining. The main villain, Claude Bardou, was irredeemably evil, bringing a dangerous menace to the story. There are a couple of other foreign spies, an American double-agent and a Russian woman, who added a bit of extra intrigue. Alice's sister-in-law, Caro, is very well-rendered as a flamboyant, self-centered woman who rarely thinks of anything but her own pleasures, and has little interest in even trying to be a good mother to her three-year-old son, Harry. Harry is a sweet, endearing child who charms nearly everyone with whom he comes in contact. In addition to these, there are a whole host of other supporting characters who for the most part play small roles, but manage to add a great deal of depth to the other characters and the narrative. The most realistic and intriguing of the secondary characters though, is Lucien's identical twin brother, Damien. These two rogues may look alike, but their personalities are opposites, with Lucien being a charming, smooth-tongued devil and Damien being more staid, reserved and uncomfortable in social settings. Most interesting of all is the sympathetic portrayal of Damien as an honorable man and wounded war hero suffering from severe PTSD. I was so fascinated by Damien that I can hardly wait to read the next book in the series, Lord of Ice, in which he becomes the hero.

Lord of Fire is the second book in the Knight Miscellany series. It is preceded by The Duke, which was another wonderful book. I wasn't sure that Ms. Foley would be able to equal it, but I was mistaken. As much as I enjoyed The Duke, I actually liked Lord of Fire slightly better. The remaining books in the series are Lord of Ice, Lady of Desire, Devil Takes a Bride, One Night of Sin and His Wicked Kiss. I love Ms. Foley's writing style, and think that she has found a great balance between descriptive prose and beautiful dialog. With two keepers in a row, she has definitely earned a place on my favorite authors list. In fact, I have already ordered a copy of Lord of Ice and will be anxiously watching for it to arrive in my mailbox, so that I can read sexy, tortured twin, Damien's story and continue this enchanting and thoroughly romantic series.(less)

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Feb 14, 2013 QiJia 치쟈 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: gaelen-foley, owned, read-in-2013

3.5 star

Lord of Fire started off really strong.

With the secret agent Lucien orchestrating a pagan cult and innocent sheltered Alice barging in. Sparks rocketing off the place.

The turns of events starting from when Alice's second day with Lucien seems too surreal, a bit too fast to just allow herself to trust this scandalous Lord Lucien.

However after that it went seemingly uneventful.....the building of trust between Lucien and Alice doesn't feel solid to me.

Ah... but I do love the last 100 p...more

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Jun 29, 2008 AzuresHeart rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Regency Era fans

Moving right thorough this series. I liked this one a lot. Seriously, Gaelen Foley is changing my mind about a lot of the plotlines I usualy steer away from. The spy theme being one of them. But she really keeps it moving and you really fall in love with the h/h. Another great one!

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Mar 28, 2013 Nihan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Bu kadıncağızın uslubunu, kurgusunu, karakter analizlerini, aşkı işleyişini beğendim. İlk kiabı çeviri mağduru bir halde okumuş olsam da son 100 sayfası özellikli olmaküzere onu da beğenmiştim. Yazarın, iki kitabına göre yorumlayacaksam, erkek karakterleri aşık olunca aman ben nerelere gideyim, "kim"lere sorayım gibi yakındırmayıp direk açıkça hatta gayet kitabın sonuna yetişmişçesine değil ortalarında aşklarının farkına vardırtıyor. Tabi action da o zaman başlıyor ama sevdim ben bunu "Bizimlasi...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Dangermousie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: aaangst, codependent, hurt-comfort, idiotic-h-and-h, idiotic-heroes-and-heroines, period-romance, romance, trainwreck

I got lulled into security by reading four romances in a row where the heroes were likeable, treating heroine and others around them with respect, and not in need of reform.

But that's all right.

Things are back to normal with Gaelen Foley's Lord of Fire. What an apt name for the novel because that is precisely what I want to do to the hero - stick him into the fire and have some barbeque while he roasts.

OK, let's get down to this hypothetical. You are a young woman and this is your experience wit...more I got lulled into security by reading four romances in a row where the heroes were likeable, treating heroine and others around them with respect, and not in need of reform.

But that's all right.

Things are back to normal with Gaelen Foley's Lord of Fire. What an apt name for the novel because that is precisely what I want to do to the hero - stick him into the fire and have some barbeque while he roasts.

OK, let's get down to this hypothetical. You are a young woman and this is your experience with a guy - you first see him presiding over a disgusting dusgusting orgy during which he drags you off against your will (and you fully believes for raping), sticks a pistol between your eyes, and feels you up everywhere against your will. Even when he finds out you are actually the sister-in-law of his mistress, come to fetch her to her sick child, and have never done anything improper or sexual in your life, he still offers you some sex.

Next morning, he tells you that only one of the two, you or your sister-in-law, can go to the sick kid, because he knows you treasure the child and wants to use your weakness for the kid to get you in his clutches.

OK, in this hypothetical, if you are in any way sane, are you going to (a) assume this is a horrible monster who deserves to be castrated and soon the hero of the piece will appear to help you heat the knives or (b) decide that all of this is OK because he's hot and angsty.

If you picked (a), congrats, you are a normal human being. If you picked (b), my condolences, you are Galen Foley.

I am supposed to believe the heroine feels physically drawn to him after that? In what Universe, unless she is a closet BDSM afficionado with a rape fetish?

How on earth the author expects me to root for them as a couple is beyond me. As it is, there is some evil French spy who supposedly wants to off our "hero" and I keep hoping he will succeed. I mean, when "hero" was relieving his hideous torture at French dude's hands, my reaction was not "poor woobie" but a "serves you right, you bastard!" and a fierce desire that the French Dude do it again.

I like other Foley books but wtf wtf forever about this one.(less)

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Feb 25, 2013 Shauni rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reading-romance-challenge

As I said earlier this was my first Gaelen Foley book and what a way to start!! The War with France is over and Napoleon has been contained but there is still clean up to be done. And of course those pesky Americans are causing problems with Britain burning Washington. A spy's work is never done. And Lucien Knight is the perfect spy.. Casting a net to all the wicked and wild he seduces the information out of others. Set in his household as a sexual wonderland the deviant come to play. After all...more As I said earlier this was my first Gaelen Foley book and what a way to start!! The War with France is over and Napoleon has been contained but there is still clean up to be done. And of course those pesky Americans are causing problems with Britain burning Washington. A spy's work is never done. And Lucien Knight is the perfect spy.. Casting a net to all the wicked and wild he seduces the information out of others. Set in his household as a sexual wonderland the deviant come to play. After all who better to gather information from than the dissipated lords who have information at hand. It seems these gathering attract not only those lost lords but also enemy spies gather to garner any info available as well. A very successful way of working for generations.. that is until Lucien finds out his greatest enemy still lives and he finds the one person who sees him, the real him.

Lucien Knight has spent his life as the "other" twin. His brother Damien was born to be a hero but Lucien was of a quieter more cerebral nature. His intelligence is beyond compare and when war came and he was forced to choose battle or espionage he went where he was truly needed. But his choices had ramifications, he felt that he had lost what little respect he had in his own family and the disconnection from his twin, the other half of himself, leaves him lost. But being the man he is, he persevered.. never letting anything keep him from his goals. And now it comes down to his family, his country, the man who almost destroyed him and suddenly love.

Alice Montague, has spent the last few years being the main support for her beloved brother's son.. The widow (and mother) having no desire to be stuck caring for a child. As much as she cares for Harry, she also dreams of a family of her own. For now though, Harry comes first. When Harry comes down with Chickenpox, Alice is determined that Harry's mother will attend him, so she goes in search of her. Good old mom, the skank, is lost in the seduction of the grotto, enjoying what sexual delights she can and having no desire to return. When Lucien says only one can leave, Alice, being a truly bright star in the wold stays.. Leading to an adventure beyond compare.

As these two wonderful characters fall in love they are faced with the reality of life. Sure isolated as they are at Lucien's estate the world falls away and it's easy to fall in love but.. When Lucien discovers that the only man who ever held him captive, who tortured him and yes broke him, survived the war and is now in England, he is desperate to track him down and kill him. Alice not understanding the nature of Lucien's life demands he make a choice.. Revenge or her.. Lucien wants both, no room to compromise.

Alice is a very black and white character and she has to learn that there is more to the world than what she knows. That there are times when sacrifice must be made. She has to learn how to support the ones you love and to accept them as they are. Lucien on the other hand, has to learn that life is not to be lived in the Shadows. That compromise does not mean hiding in the grey areas.. And fortunately for him he has Alice to guide him into the light.

As I read this series, I totally loved the fact that Lucien, the under appreciated twin, got his book first. It seems that he had always been an after thought to the rest of the world, it was nice of Ms Foley to put him before Damien. Although he is the 4th son of the Hawksville Harlot the family does not play a huge part in this book. Yes, they appear but they are not the center point. That particular story arc had only begun to rise.. but you will see more of the family interactions as the series goes on.

I really love Gaelen Foley's work. She was one of the first authors to step into the grittier side of the ton. Her books have weight and depth.. yep, that means the print is smaller *grins* you know what I mean. I seriously suggest you read this series.. it is just a wonderful sweeping epic of what a family could be.

Shauni

For more reviews by Shauni check out Tea and Book and
Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy
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Oct 29, 2011 Natasha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow! This is my first Gaelen Goley novel and I'm impressed. I started out with the second novel in the series, but each story is a stand alone, even though they all flow together with connecting characters. I'll go back and read one as soon as I read the third, which is Damien's story. Lucien is my favorite of the two, but the more I read, the more I wanted to know more of Damien. I look forward to this series.

This is a story of loneliness, love and revenge. Each character plays a key point in...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Can Gaelen Foley do no wrong? I read this book in one sitting. An all night one. LORD OF FIRE was so fast-paced and action packed that I could barely find a place to stop for the night...so I just didn't. The book is a balancing act of romance, angst, mystery, steamy sex, and doing the right thing. Ms. Foley balances them like a pro without losing her innate and colorful writing style. Her books always have some underlying topic of importance and are never an empty bubble of simpering heroines a...more

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Sep 26, 2010 Jane Stewart rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: regency-romance

It could have been a good story if the heroine had been smarter with her actions.

I disliked the heroine Alice's actions. Lucien was a highly skilled spy. He told her to stay away from certain things, but she didn't and as a result, she caused problems, putting him in danger, herself in danger and causing a spy to get away. Later in the story Alice's sister-in-law didn't do what she had been told to do, and as a result she was taken hostage. This story used women's stupid actions to cause the con...more

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Apr 04, 2010 Jessi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

This is a really good book for some reason, I just couldn't get into it. Lucien Knight is one of the illegitimate children born to the Duchess of Hawkscliffe aka the "Hawkscliffe Harlot." Well, technically, the Duke claimed he and his twin Damien but they weren't really his sons. Lucien is also called "Lucifer" around town because he is known as the "bad twin." His brother Damien distinguished himself on the battlefield while Lucien was a spy (apparently not the "done thing") and is now known fo...more

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Jan 31, 2010 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

Growing up as a twin left Lord Lucien Knight always in the shadow of his more athletic brother, even after they had decided to take different career options. Serving in the war left Lucien wanting to serve his country but not the way his hero of a brother did. Putting his life and his name on the line for his country was a difficult decision, one that he never regretted until he met the ’goody two-shoes’ Alice Montague. Being left with just a licentious sister-in-law, Alice took charge of her ne...more

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Sep 11, 2011 Diana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Diana by: Carrie Lim

Shelves: all-about-the-heroine, awesome-ensemble, awesomely-awesome-reads, big-secret, doubts-and-insecurities, e-books, fiction, tender-moments-that-tug-at-your-hea, steamy-reads, so-much-love, shades-of-gray, romance, salvation-and-redemption, part-of-series, how-do-you-not-love-the-hero, heartwrenching, hidden-depths, happy-endings, 2011-reads

I love the way Gaelen Foley writes. To me, she's one of the best writers out there. I know I'm only on her second book, but regardless. Her words invoke a whole new world and I find myself irrevocably drawn into it. My senses are forever engaged, and I can not only picture the setting, but I feel like I'm engaged in it. The world building is excellent, with history intertwining superbly with personal backgrounds. The plot is tight, the characters are complex and multi-dimensional. I get tickled...more I love the way Gaelen Foley writes. To me, she's one of the best writers out there. I know I'm only on her second book, but regardless. Her words invoke a whole new world and I find myself irrevocably drawn into it. My senses are forever engaged, and I can not only picture the setting, but I feel like I'm engaged in it. The world building is excellent, with history intertwining superbly with personal backgrounds. The plot is tight, the characters are complex and multi-dimensional. I get tickled everytime I meet her characters as they are presented and thrilled to see them challenged as they struggle and grow. Awesome storylines and lovable characters. :D

***

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Sep 09, 2011 Carrie Lim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: angsty-drama, crime, ebook, favorite, historical-romance, lust-at-first-sight, heroine-independent, hero-mysterious, opposites-attract, part-of-series, plot-has-plot, sealed-with-a-deal, unpredictable, thriller-suspense, knight-in-shining-armor, heroes-unsung, saving-grace, lmfao

All 5 Stars goes to Lord Lucien Knight. Very well deserved. Mysterious, gorgeous Lucien is not what everyone imagines him to be. Every one sees him like the devil. How tragic. They fail to see that Lucien is all the more gallant, strong and so very clever.

Misunderstood to his very core, Lucien isolates himself from everyone. Including or rather, perhaps, ESPECIALLY, from his once always present twin brother, Damien. Lucien lives behind measured walls, puts on his mask of indifference and plays...more

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Apr 18, 2009 Edna Lyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, historical-romance

Not the best but an okay read. Alice, the heroine, was a bit frustrating at times. First Alice falling for Lucien's stupid trap (my only complaint about the hero as well) in the beginning. Then when she deliberately went to the Grotto and ended up making trouble. Also going to and staying in London when Lucien told her it was dangerous. Even her sister was dimwitted. Argh. The lack of the Knight siblings disappointed me a lot as well. I did like the emotional aspects of this story, like the inte...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Heidi rated it 1 of 5 stars

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOK, again this is going to have some spoilers, and I had a serious problem with this book, I cannot believe the book has an overall rating of 4.01 on goodreads.

First off, the beginning of the book is pretty good, however the main male character lucien is a controling, damaged, person, which would be fine except he's got some kind of orgy thing happening in the basement, and then he gives the lead woman character an ultimatum that she cannot return to take care of her sick nephew. S...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Dee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, author-recommended, author-gaelen-foley

I enjoyed this addition to the series and thought it a good read. Although it is classed as a Historical Romance it has quite a few elements of a Spy/Thriller novel which I really enjoyed.

Lucien is a bit of a dark character but in his job he has to have secrets and pretend to be many different things/people. Deep down he is a bit of a tortured sole who believes that he is not loved or wanted by anyone, even his family. He puts on a stoic exterior and even tries to convince himself that it is no...more

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Sep 12, 2009 Joy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gaelen-foley, historical-romance

I liked it, the heroine (Alice) was perfectly balanced with Lucien. The story dragged at times because of all the setup done in major events that happened at Revell Court (Lucien's residence), it's interesting to know how he conducted his espionage where he met Alice. Although the love scenes weren't detailed and there were only a few, I liked how Gaelen Foley constructed Lucien's character, the man vs man conflict is here and it's rare we find someone let down his pride and admit he's alone, mo...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Karen rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was going along enjoying myself fine right up until that blindingly idiotic simpleton Alice went and told her evil sister in law that Lucien was an English spy. I am beyond words. Does she have no sense? What the hell.

On the other hand, the beginning was great. I loved the part where Alice wanders into an Eyes Wide Shut scenario and travels through the house to an underground canal that takes her to a secret grotto of hot spring pools. Lucien's character was a little disappointing. He was supp...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Val rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: awesomeness, favorites, bad-boy-gone-sweet, gets-better-and-better, gorgeous-covers, guilty-pleasures, historical-romance, to-die-for-hero, favorite-couples, lust-at-first-sight, now-thats-one-first-kiss, opposites-attract, this-ones-a-keeper, tortured-haunted-hero

I have to say this one was miles better than the first novel. I absolutely LOVED it. The characters were different and exciting, and the story gripping from the very first page. It had just about anything: love, intrigue, humour...

The one negative aspect I find about most historical romances is their simplicity. I often find myself imagining lots of possible plot twists and paying attention at little details so as to discover what I can be missing, only to realize the answer is pretty much a gi...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Flor rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

El libro no es muy creíble, pero engancha desde el principio. Lucien tiene un hermano gemelo, Damian. Damian es militar y Lucien es espía, por lo que la relación entre ellos no es la mejor. Damian se quiere casar, para tener hijos con Caro entonces Lucien la seduce para mostrarle a Damian que no es buena para él. Lucien realiza orgias en su casa, donde van diplomáticos y él puede espiarlos, lleva a Caro a su ultima fiesta. Caro tiene un hijo, del que no se hace cargo y lo deja siempre con su cuñ...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: not-favorite-but-a-keeper

Another great read that keeps you completely captivated throughout the whole thing! For the longest time, I couldn't find a romance author that matched the likeability and style of Judith McNaught. I have to say that I have now found that author. EVERYTHING I've read from both authors captivates me. AND, I love how the characters are connected in each book of the series... it just makes want to keep reading and reading! As for this book in particular... it reminded me a little of "Eyes Wide Shut...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Jana rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

In one way so naive and predictable, bad as well, on the other, not so anymore but only with glimpses. I don't like these transformed in one week rakes, even if she walks on water. Lucien Knight was really a bad motherfucker so I didn't want to read about his emotional breakdown after 12 hours.

Is this me being too insensible, aren't men supposed to be like this, little hard little soft. God, that freaking Judith McNaught just ruined me immeasurably.

And as always, I don't like chasing, suspense...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Lori McD rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012_read, british-lit, chick-lit, easy-read, favorite-author, historical-fiction, kindle-book, own, regency, romance, series, some-steam, spies, suspense

Really enjoyed Lucien's and Alice's story, although I was convinced that this was going to be a throw-away book in the first few chapters.

Some of the story might have gone over-the-top with Lucien's antics at his country home - reminiscent of The Hellfire Club. But once it was (finally) explained what he was doing and why, it was easier to read and fit into the overall story.

Alice does seem a bit too Goody-Two-Shoes at first, and perhaps her falling for Lucien (and his falling for her) does happ...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Maggie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance-novels

This was not what I was expecting AT ALL. I had read the preview of the first couple of chapters many times before deciding on buying this one, and the tone and personality of Lucien in the beginning does not equate at all to Lucien in the rest of the book.

Lucien's a spy for King and Country, ordered to host scandalous orgiastic parties with visiting dignitaries and the like in order to eke out secrets.When virginal, naive Alice sneaks her way into one of these parties to drag her loathsome sis...more This was not what I was expecting AT ALL. I had read the preview of the first couple of chapters many times before deciding on buying this one, and the tone and personality of Lucien in the beginning does not equate at all to Lucien in the rest of the book.

Lucien's a spy for King and Country, ordered to host scandalous orgiastic parties with visiting dignitaries and the like in order to eke out secrets.When virginal, naive Alice sneaks her way into one of these parties to drag her loathsome sister in law back home to her sick kid, Alice sticks out like a sore thumb and draws the attention of Lucien.

Lucien wants her immediately. He comes up with this plan of letting only one girl go: Alice or her sis in law, Caro. Lucien is testing Alice's honor, because he knows if she's the paragon he thinks she is, then Alice will let Caro go home to her kid. Alice passes this test.

(This only-one-gets-to-go plan is pretty unbelievable, but somehow GF pulls it off withoutme questioning it too much.)

This is where Lucien's multiple personality (not to be confused with his identical twin brother, Damien) comes out. Lucien is STARVED for someone to love him. he's desperately lonely, and he senses this same loneliness in Alice. So he becomes pretty adorable in his besottedness with her, and tries to win her over, while keeping the spyside of his life a secret.

I thought Lucien was super cute in the beginning of his courtship of Alice, but then I started to get annoyed with him. I have a problem with the archetype of virginal, too perfect to be true heroines. And then when they are paired with a "bad boy" type hero, who desires this kind of a Heroine because she, with her pure as the driven snowness, can wash away the Hero's sins from his black heart... Ugh. That really annoys me. And, really, that's what Lucien was doing. If Alice wouldn't love him, he wasn't going to get anyone's love.

Though, Lucien's actions weren't the only ones I had problems with. Alice's ultimatums made me cringe. "tell me everything about your secret life or else I won't marry/or have sex with you!"

Their relationship problems boiled down to trust.

A lot of the reviewers didn't like Alice, and while she's not my favorite heroine, I didn't hate her, either. She did seem real to me,and I understood most of her actions. Lucien was the one, however, who came across--to me anyway--as too good to be true. This guy who is so in love with Alice and needs her so much that he could only exist in a book. He had flaws, sure, but they turned out to be that he broke under torture and had sacrificed his good name for his country. Oh, god, how terrible. It's kind of like how in job interviews, they ask you what your greatest weakness is and you say something like, "I'm a perfectionist": something that is not a weakness at all. That is what Lucien was to me. This "flawed but not really" guy.

The thing I lovelovelovelove about GF's books is that there is always so much story. I love the way she writes, and the banter, and the way she doesn't rely on Big Misunderstandings in order to generate conflict. She can always be relied upon to write a good, solid story, and even if there are some things you don't like, you almost always come out of her books with a feeling of happiness and contentment. Like, yeah, that was a good four hours spent. (less)

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Oct 30, 2011 Sakura Joyce rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I read the synopsis for this book, I put it off for months because I cannot stand spy work in my romances, but once I started the book, I wanted to smack myself for putting the book off.

As some readers already pointed out, Alice can be frustrating sometimes, but for the most part, she wasn’t a problem. I didn’t like Lucien at first because of his distasteful orgies and his mistress, who is also the sister in law of our heroine. Lucien is your typical scarred hero, I especially liked the sce...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

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

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Feb 17, 2011 Pixelinchen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Pixelinchen by: RMB 5*

Shelves: romance, series, romance-historical, kindle, hero-diabolical, hero-pth, recommendation-rmb, secret-hidden-identity, recommendation-rmb-5, hero-spy

Dieses Buch hätte nach der ersten Hälfte wirklich die Chance auf 5 Sterne von mir gehabt, aber leider ließ es danach sehr nach.
Im ersten Teil will die etwas prüde Lady ALice Montague ihre verdorbene Schwägerin vom Anwesen des berüchtigten Lord Lucien Knight abholen, da ihr Sohn krank ist. Im Anwesen angelangt, gerät sie in die 'Grotto', in der - geleitet von Lucien - satanistisch-bacchyantische Szenen stattfinden. Der findet sie und ist von ihrer Unschuld und Schönheit berührt - zum ersten Mal s...more

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Oct 12, 2010 Kyraryker rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, series, regency, favorites

This books starts off highly charged with Lucien holding court over a party that is basically a BDSM and orgy scene. I did say these books were not for the faint of heart didn't I?
Lucien and Alice's first scene together made my toes curl and well, basically "Oh Nelly!" is all I have to say about that.
Lucien is that delicious combo of dangerously dark and little boy vulnerable. Alice is the consummate good girl (Lucien calls her "Goody Two-Shoes") until she gets around Lucien, then she finds hers...more

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Oct 13, 2010 Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~* rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-historical, series, author-gaelen-foley, reviewed, owned-read

3-3.5 Stars

I’ve been avoiding writing a review for this, so I’ve decided that I'm not going to write a whole long one.

I just want to say that I absolutely love, LOVED The Duke and still haven't found the words to express my feelings for that amazing book. But this second instalment of the Knight Miscellany series took me what felt like forever to finish (though it was only 11 days).

I don't know what happened since quite a lot of you seem to have loved it. For some reason, which I still haven’...more

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About Gaelen Foley

Noted for her "complex, subtly shaded characters, richly sensual love scenes, and elegantly fluid prose" (Booklist), Gaelen Foley is the bestselling author of eleven historical romances from Ballantine Books. Her passionate, sophisticated love stories have been published in eleven languages and have won numerous awards, including the National Readers' Choice Award, the Booksellers' Best, the Golde...more Noted for her "complex, subtly shaded characters, richly sensual love scenes, and elegantly fluid prose" (Booklist), Gaelen Foley is the bestselling author of eleven historical romances from Ballantine Books. Her passionate, sophisticated love stories have been published in eleven languages and have won numerous awards, including the National Readers' Choice Award, the Booksellers' Best, the Golden Leaf, the Award of Excellence, the Laurie, the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award for Best First Historical Romance, and the Holt Medallion.

A Pennsylvania native, Gaelen holds a B.A. in English literature with a minor in philosophy from the State University of New York, College at Fredonia, a quaint lakeside village where Mark Twain once owned a home. It was here, while studying the Romantic poets, such as Wordsworth, Byron, and Keats that she first fell in love with the Regency period in which her novels are set.

After college, she dedicated herself completely to her artistic pursuits, spending five and a half years moonlighting as a waitress to keep her days free for writing and honing her craft. Finally, after four unsuccessful manuscripts, her fifth attempt sold to the largest publisher in the world (Bertelsmann).

The Pirate Prince hit bookshelves in 1998 and created an instant buzz among romance fans. Romantic Times magazine announced: "There is star quality in this writer!" Word-of-mouth made The Pirate Prince a hit and has continued to propel each of her novels on to greater success, establishing Foley as a leading voice in historical romance.

Gaelen Foley lives near Pittsburgh, PA with her college-sweetheart husband, Eric, and a spoiled bichon frise called Bubble. She is hard at work on her next book.
Read Article: Famous Foleys of the Regency Period

Favorite Things: Mozart, Haydn, and Boccherini; good strong coffee with cream; spending rainy days at a museum; Phipps’ Conservatory; horses; dogs (especially toy-sized fluffs); the History Channel; cooking extravagant holiday feasts for my family; random acts of kindness.(less)

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Books by Gaelen Foley

Devil Takes a Bride (Knight Miscellany, #5)

One Night of Sin (Knight Miscellany, #6)

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Quotes from Lord of Fire

“You are tired of being alone. You told me.”
“You don’t know,” he said in a low, almost hostile voice. He shook his head. “I don’t even know what
I’m doing with you. You’re not like anyone else who’s in my life—” He stopped abruptly. “Did you ever
drink too much wine,Alice ?” He held up the glass in his hand and waggled it idly, making the ruby
contents swirl.
“I’m not one to overindulge.”
“No, you wouldn’t be,Allow me to explain, then, that the more you drink, the more thirsty you become. Not all the wine in the world can assuage the thirst for water. Water. Wine makes
you merry, but a man needs water to keep him alive. Pure, clean, sweet water. I am parched,Alice , scorched like a wasteland, burning
like a damned soul in hell. I thirst.” — 19 people liked it

“We’re all a little mad, my friend. Keeps life interesting.” — 12 people liked it

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Lord of Fire (Knight Miscellany #2)

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