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Passion Quartet #2
Sabır
Patience adlı bir kadın. İradesini ve aşkını imtihana tutacak bir arzu.
Olağanüstü güzelliğiyle tanınan Patience Emmalina Dare evlenme çağına girdiği andan itibaren hayranlarını peşinde sürüklüyordu. Sayısız talibi olmasına karşın ne gönlünü çelen, ne de arzularını ateşleyen biri çıkar karşısına. Ta ki gizemli bir adam ona güçlü bir ihtiyacın varlığını hissettirinceye kadar. Ona duyduğu arzu mu daha ağır basacak yoksa bağımsız bir hayat kurma isteği mi? Peki ya kendi içinde daha önce varlığından bile habersiz olduğu bir parçayı keşfettiğinde?
Gayrimeşru doğumuyla ilgili öğrendiği gerçekler Matthew Morgan Hawkmore’un toplumdaki yerini sarsmaya başlayınca, Langley Kontunun esmer güzeli kardeşi yeniden dirilip intikam alma isteğiyle dolar. Eskiden sevdiğine inandığı kadın tarafından ihanete uğrayıp terk edildiği için bir daha asla aşkın tuzağına düşmemeye yeminlidir. Ne var ki yalnızca onun giderebileceği bir ihtiyacı kararlılığı ve özgüveniyle maskeleyen Patience’a karşı koyamaz.
Olağanüstü güzelliğiyle tanınan Patience Emmalina Dare evlenme çağına girdiği andan itibaren hayranlarını peşinde sürüklüyordu. Sayısız talibi olmasına karşın ne gönlünü çelen, ne de arzularını ateşleyen biri çıkar karşısına. Ta ki gizemli bir adam ona güçlü bir ihtiyacın varlığını hissettirinceye kadar. Ona duyduğu arzu mu daha ağır basacak yoksa bağımsız bir hayat kurma isteği mi? Peki ya kendi içinde daha önce varlığından bile habersiz olduğu bir parçayı keşfettiğinde?
Gayrimeşru doğumuyla ilgili öğrendiği gerçekler Matthew Morgan Hawkmore’un toplumdaki yerini sarsmaya başlayınca, Langley Kontunun esmer güzeli kardeşi yeniden dirilip intikam alma isteğiyle dolar. Eskiden sevdiğine inandığı kadın tarafından ihanete uğrayıp terk edildiği için bir daha asla aşkın tuzağına düşmemeye yeminlidir. Ne var ki yalnızca onun giderebileceği bir ihtiyacı kararlılığı ve özgüveniyle maskeleyen Patience’a karşı koyamaz.
420 pages
First published April 6, 2010
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March 6, 2014
5 intense, controversial, powerful stars!
Those of you who have read Passion know that most people either loved it or hated it, and the same holds true for Patience. I fall into the “love it” camp and will not apologize nor feel ashamed for doing so. The language and sexuality are just as raw and edgy in Patience as they were in Passion, so if you were hoping for a tamer book, you’ll be disappointed. I, however, loved it!
Description…
A woman called Patience.My review contains minor spoilers...
A desire that would put her name—and love—to the test.
Known for her exceptional beauty, Patience Emmalina Dare has been pursued by admirers ever since coming of age. But as suitor after suitor fails to inspire her love, or her desire, she is certain she will never find a man who touches her deeply. Until a passionate kiss with an enigmatic man awakens a powerful need in her. But can she reconcile her desire for him with her desire for a life that's her own? And what will she do when he shows her a part of herself she never knew existed?
When the secret of his illegitimate birth pushes Matthew Morgan Hawkmore from his place in society, the darkly handsome half-brother of the Earl of Langley plots his resurrection and his revenge. Betrayed and abandoned by the women he believed loved him, he swears never again to be controlled by love. But despite his vow, he is unable to resist Patience, whose strength and self-reliance mask a need that he is perfectly suited to fulfull.
Wow! I loved this story!
Matthew is much different from the happy go lucky, carefree man he was in the last book, and who wouldn’t be? He’s learned that his entire life was based on a lie. “Friends” are nowhere to be found, business associates have not only abandoned him, but some are out to destroy him, not only financially, but totally and utterly destroy him, the man. He’s got a lot to deal with, to say the least, and all because his mother couldn’t keep her legs together. Thankfully, we don’t have to deal with her sorry ass in this book.
Patience has quite the story of her own to tell, one that we were not even given a clue to in Passion. Early on I had decided she was weak, needing to be told what to do, handled, etc. Wow, was I wrong. By the end of the book I had shed more than a few tears for her anguish, loss and loneliness. I came to see her as an incredibly strong woman who had to deal with all that life threw at her, and do it all on her own. I admire her greatly.
Again, Lisa Valdez gave us a story about two people who would have probably spent their entire lives alone had they not found each other. I love how they fit so well together, how they complement one another. Matthew and Patience are both amazing characters, fully developed people whom I became totally invested in. We also get to revisit a few of the earlier players. Aunt Matty, Mark, Passion and Prim all make appearances, just to name a few. And, if I’m correct, we meet Prim’s happily ever after in this book!
The sexual theme in Passion was “take me, open for me…” and the theme for Patience is “submit.” In their first scene together, Patience is given a small glimpse into what life with Matthew would be like. It was a hot scene, and I enjoyed it, but after they had been together a few times, I became worried that this book would cross boundaries I wasn’t ready to cross. While it did stretch the limits of my comfort zone, I can’t say that I found any part of it repulsive nor did anything really make me cringe—well, maybe I cringed a little bit—but it is my comfort zone we’re talking about and I know that by many standards, Patience is very tame.
Let me see if I can better explain what I mean without giving away details. A year or so ago, I read a book where the female lead went looking for this particular male who was a known DOM. He had quite the reputation and she wanted only the best for her experimental journey into submission. Anyway, one evening she failed to follow an order he gave her and she shows up naked at a dinner party he was giving. Her punishment was that for the entire evening she had to stay at his side, naked, on hands and knees, never allowed to sit down or stand up. When he was seated, she had to kneel at his feet, or lay curled up like a dog. At one point she was placed in the middle of the room, on hands and knees, where everyone watched while one man spanked her as she was giving another man a blow job.
Patience is like a kid’s fairytale compared to that.
However, it will still make some people uncomfortable and I totally get that which is why I’m trying to give as much warning as I can without giving away details. It's important to note that Matthew’s sexuality is what it is not because of what happened with his mother, but he states that it’s always been a part of him. He's not cruel or abusive and at no time is Patience forced to do something she doesn't want to. She can say ‘no’ at any time, which is part of why the story didn’t turn me off early on. I knew that she was ok with the entire arrangement and that Matthew cared deeply for her, and nothing on his part was done out of anger.
The story, while a continuation of the mess that was revealed in Passion, actually didn’t dwell too much on it. It was more about how Matthew was trying to stay afloat in a world where being a bastard was almost, if not as bad, as being a thief, a whore or a murderer. With Patience’s gentle ways and guidance, and her unconditional love, Matthew learns what it really means to be a rich man—and it has nothing to do with monetary wealth. The question that had to be answered was, could he set aside his bitterness and all of his plans for revenge in order to be worthy of being the kind of man he knew Patience deserved.
The bottom line…
This book is a little more emotionally and sexually intense than Passion. I found it hard to put down and like Mark and Passion did, Matthew and Patience have given me much to think about! I’m looking forward to visiting with them again soon in the next book.
Sexual content... Light bondage, heavy spanking, domination/submission. No anal, no ménage, no display or humiliation.
Note: Lisa Valdez answered some questions about why there was such a long time span between Passion and Patience and gave us some information about her 3rd novel in the quartet, Primrose. http://kbgbabbles.blogspot.com/2010/0...
March 12, 2015
** 2,5-3 “rotten peaches” STARS **
“Then I am Pluto, god of the underworld, and I want you. I shall steal you away and hide you in my shadow. I shall chain you to my side and demand your submission. I shall take everything from you and, in the doing, give you everything you desire. (…) And you – YOU SHALL LIGHT MY DARK WORLD.”
~ MATTHEW
“Patience” Emmalina Dare, a lady of exceptional beauty and intelligence, has a quite long list of male admirers that spin around her at every public event, but none can boil her blood and make her heart flutter like her new brother-in-law, Matthew, can. Patience doesn’t want a fairytale HEA. She doesn’t want marriage and children. Not since her cello instructor ripped her heart and stumped on it… No, she just wants her terrible loneliness to come to an end. And only Matthew seems to be capable of doing that…so why not give herself to him for one night? Surely, one night will be enough…
“Unlike ever before, her dreams now had form and substance. Now, her dreams came with eyes of a dove, the face of an angel, and the strong hand of a pagan god.”
~ PATIENCE
“Matthew” Morgan Hawkmore’s life has changed tremendously since the secret that he is an illegitimate son had become public knowledge: He’s been socially snubbed and ignored, he’s been dumped by his “loving” fiancee, he’s been deserted by almost all of his “close” friends and now he is on the verge of being financially ruined by his ex-father-in-law. At the lowest point of his life, there is only one thing in his life that is still shining bright: The beautiful Patience, his own goddess, his own “Persephone”... Matthew knows that only Patience can fulfill his desires and give him what he really needs…so why not take her and make her HIS for one night? Surely, one night will be enough…
“But I shall make you fit me, Patience.” (…) His eyes captured hers. “I will f*ck you...” he said on a harsh whisper, thrusting into her. (…) “And f*ck you... And f*ck you… UNTIL YOU FIT.”
~ MATTHEW
So why only 2,5 stars?
The heavy BDSM-themed sex scenes. I certainly wouldn't call this book a "Historical ROMANCE", nope, this is very obviously an erotica. A well-written, but unnecessary one.
I mean, I can easily summarize the first %70 of the book with: Matthew cuming like “the fiery waters of the river Styx, his cum a fierce and flowing tide”, while Patience “finds her rapture while drinking voraciously of the virile communication he feeds her”.
The rather long explanations about "obedience", "discipline" and "submission", the numerous scenes of Matthew spanking Patience's bottom for "his pleasure" and therefore "her pleasure", countless paragraphs with swollen clitorises and engorged pricks because of the fact that the heroine is a virgin and would like to remain so...well, let's just say these all EXHAUSTED THE SH*T OUT OF ME!
The surprisingly pleasant 69-ing oral sex scene was, though, THE HOTTEST BLOWJOB I'VE EVERRRRR READ! Holy sh*t, can people really do THAT?!?
Oh and I've learned the difference between the words "irrumatio" and "fellatio":
“IRRUMATIO is active participation in fellatio by the male member; aggressive insertion of the penis into a partner's mouth or throat; while FELLATIO is the stimulation of the penis using the lips, tongue and inside of the mouth.”
P.S: Our heroine has mastered giving head by...WAIT FOR IT...YOU'RE GONNA BE STUNNED...by sucking and licking CUCUMBERS while she was a teenager! No comment on this one...
OVERALL: Not even close to being as awesome as Book#1, Passion, so Eda is not sure if she'd recommend it...
April 6, 2010
This was a kind of Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde book for me. On one hand you have a traditional, well-written romantic historical with a decent plot, which I truly enjoyed. On the other hand, you have a smutty, sometimes vulgar historical erotica--which at first I thought was kind of hot.:) But after reading page after page of how to have sex without actual penetration, I was rolling my eyes (his "boiling" cods! her "gushing" quim!), shaking my head (the porntastic, acrobatic upside down oral sex scene), the irrumatio scene (definition right here http://www.sex-lexis.com/Sex-Dictiona...) and cringing (spanking her bottom for "his pleasure" and therefore, "her pleasure"). Was Lisa Valdez trying to shock the reader? Titillate? Maybe. All I know is that once the hard spanking commenced, she lost me. Ouch! I don't mind a smutty historical (I thought Passion was smutty but hot)--I guess what I didn't like was the direction that LV took with the sex scenes.
To explain: Our lonely but beautiful red-haired heroine, cello-playing Patience Dare (younger sister of Passion from the book Passion) is not looking for love or a traditional HEA of a husband or children since being spurned years ago by her cello instructor. What? She's giving up after one failed attempt at love? Everyone she loves always leaves Patience, one way or another (her mother died; her sister Passion became busy raising their younger sister; her cello teacher Henri spurned her) so she's not putting her heart out there again. However, she is attracted to her new brother-in-law, the darkly handsome Matthew Hawkmore (brother of Mark from "Passion")...maybe...
Matt's been going through some scandalous tough times--he just found out he's been born a bastard and it's the talk of the ton. He faces financial and social ruin because of the revelation (in the newspapers!) that he was fathered by a common gardener. Horrors! His fiancee has dumped him and his ex future father-in-law (Lord Benchley) is hell bent on destroying him since he thinks Matt knew all along about the circumstances of his birth (he didn't) and lied to him. The only bright spot in his life right now is Patience, who he's hungered for since he first met her...
To make a long story short, Matt makes a move on Patience. She tells him she can't give him love. Matt says that's okay (he's sworn off love himself), I know what you need, and only I can give it to you (or something like that). Patience bites, and they have a wild old time where Patience learns that what she longs for is to submit--and Matt teaches her the many ways she can submit to him and give him pleasure...because his pleasure will lead to her pleasure, etc. This goes on and on, as Matt and Patience (who turns out to be a master at fellatio since she practiced on a cucumber as a teen!) progress from him teaching her to submit to his wishes ( "lick my cods", "spread your legs and rest your heels on the edge of the mantle") to teaching her all about obeying and discipline. Along the way they discover that they really have come to need each other, and that maybe love isn't such a far fetched idea. But will Matt's thirst for revenge against those who have wronged him get in the way of their happiness?
Even though I wasn't all too keen on the direction LV took with the love scenes (bondage and spanking to hurt just isn't my cuppa), outside of the bedroom I could really feel the love that Matt and Patience had for each other. Just something about them not being equals in the bedroom bugged/irked me, even though Patience was a willing and eager (that girl was constantly gushing!) participant. But if that kind of bedroom action doesn't bug you, I'm sure you'll love this book. I enjoyed the plot, the characters were mostly likable (and plenty kinky), and somehow I even shed a few tears at the end. (I especially loved Matt's declaration of love to Patience when he finally figured out in which direction he wanted to take his life.) Each chapter starts out with a verse from the biblical "Song of Solomon", and there's references to the mythological Persephone (Patience) and Pluto/Hades (Matthew), and Adam and Eve, which I found rather interesting. While this wasn't quite up to the quality of Passion, it was pretty good and it managed to entertain me. I hope LV has plans to write not only about youngest sister Primrose, but also Matt's friend Lord Fitz Roy and the young street lad Mickey Wilkes (I sense a good story there)--I just hope we don't have to wait years for them! 4 stars.
To explain: Our lonely but beautiful red-haired heroine, cello-playing Patience Dare (younger sister of Passion from the book Passion) is not looking for love or a traditional HEA of a husband or children since being spurned years ago by her cello instructor. What? She's giving up after one failed attempt at love? Everyone she loves always leaves Patience, one way or another (her mother died; her sister Passion became busy raising their younger sister; her cello teacher Henri spurned her) so she's not putting her heart out there again. However, she is attracted to her new brother-in-law, the darkly handsome Matthew Hawkmore (brother of Mark from "Passion")...maybe...
Matt's been going through some scandalous tough times--he just found out he's been born a bastard and it's the talk of the ton. He faces financial and social ruin because of the revelation (in the newspapers!) that he was fathered by a common gardener. Horrors! His fiancee has dumped him and his ex future father-in-law (Lord Benchley) is hell bent on destroying him since he thinks Matt knew all along about the circumstances of his birth (he didn't) and lied to him. The only bright spot in his life right now is Patience, who he's hungered for since he first met her...
To make a long story short, Matt makes a move on Patience. She tells him she can't give him love. Matt says that's okay (he's sworn off love himself), I know what you need, and only I can give it to you (or something like that). Patience bites, and they have a wild old time where Patience learns that what she longs for is to submit--and Matt teaches her the many ways she can submit to him and give him pleasure...because his pleasure will lead to her pleasure, etc. This goes on and on, as Matt and Patience (who turns out to be a master at fellatio since she practiced on a cucumber as a teen!) progress from him teaching her to submit to his wishes ( "lick my cods", "spread your legs and rest your heels on the edge of the mantle") to teaching her all about obeying and discipline. Along the way they discover that they really have come to need each other, and that maybe love isn't such a far fetched idea. But will Matt's thirst for revenge against those who have wronged him get in the way of their happiness?
Even though I wasn't all too keen on the direction LV took with the love scenes (bondage and spanking to hurt just isn't my cuppa), outside of the bedroom I could really feel the love that Matt and Patience had for each other. Just something about them not being equals in the bedroom bugged/irked me, even though Patience was a willing and eager (that girl was constantly gushing!) participant. But if that kind of bedroom action doesn't bug you, I'm sure you'll love this book. I enjoyed the plot, the characters were mostly likable (and plenty kinky), and somehow I even shed a few tears at the end. (I especially loved Matt's declaration of love to Patience when he finally figured out in which direction he wanted to take his life.) Each chapter starts out with a verse from the biblical "Song of Solomon", and there's references to the mythological Persephone (Patience) and Pluto/Hades (Matthew), and Adam and Eve, which I found rather interesting. While this wasn't quite up to the quality of Passion, it was pretty good and it managed to entertain me. I hope LV has plans to write not only about youngest sister Primrose, but also Matt's friend Lord Fitz Roy and the young street lad Mickey Wilkes (I sense a good story there)--I just hope we don't have to wait years for them! 4 stars.
July 16, 2010
**PLOT SPOILERS AND EXPLICIT LANGUAGE WARNING**
So here is what I think is the set up for the story.
Matthew is devastated after his "bastardy" is exposed by his mother (nice lady, to be sure) who writes a letter to the London Times. The ton snubs him, friends desert him, his fiancee dumps him and his business interests are threatened with failure. Patience is his new sister-in-law. He yearns for her, but thinks he must regain his standing and set some wrongs to right before she can be his.
I'm not sure how he will deal with all of this, however, because he spends virtually all of his time with his cock throbbing and twitching. All because of Patience. When we meet her, she is telling Matthew that he will get over his fiancee someday soon, because he is just too special to be thrown over. I'm not sure he is paying any particular attention to her, because the author keeps telling us about his cock and all that throbbing and leaking it's doing. By page 11, his tongue is in her mouth and they are in a lustful clinch. Which makes her quim ache. WTF is a quim? Unbeknownst to Matthew (or maybe beknownst, the author doesn't tell us) she has been pining for him as well. Enough to make her quim constantly ache for him. That poor quim. If it's not aching, it's dripping. Poor girl's thighs must be chafed, with all that drippiness happening.
By page 39 not only are we well acquainted with Patience's quim, but we meet her pulsating clitoris. Between the throbbing cocks, aching quims and pulsating clitorises it's difficult to find the plot. What plot, you say? Exactly.
So here is what I got as backstory for Patience: she is unimaginably beautiful and is innundated with suitors. So much so that she is bored. Everything is handed to her. Also, she is gifted at playing the cello. A big instrument that she holds between her legs. Hmm. Think this symbolizes something. She fell in love with her instructor and carries with her his dear john letter to her. She has decided, I think, to never marry or fall in love or some such nonsense. Hard to tell - as much as Matthew's cock is always throbbing, her quim runneth over constantly and that pulsating clitoris interferes with her ability to think too hard about anything. Except Matthew, she thinks of him constantly. She loves his sharp jaw and dark eyes. And golden-tipped hair. That's all we are told about what he looks like. Jeez - what a rip off.
Now Matthew - his deal, I think is that he sees that Patience is bored and restless and needs to have an emotional breakthrough of sorts to come to terms with who she is and what she really wants. He wants it to be him, of course. And apparently, if you are a titled sort in 1851 England the way to accomplish this is to force her to become a submissive. Cut off all of her clothes, tie her up and fuck her face with your huge throbbing cock. Then come in her face. Cause nothing says I love you like a face full of that stuff. WHAT. THE. FUCK.
Make her quim throb for you all day. Spank her. Make her do anything you say, including humping your booted leg to orgasm. Keep her doing your bidding, abuse her physically, then tell her you worship her. Make her submit completely - all she can say is "Yes, Matthew". Because that's what she needs. And that will free her.
Now. If this were a book that I knew was erotic fiction, about a dominant/submissive relationship, I'd have looked at it completely differently. If that's what it was, it was great. There were some pretty hot encounters in the book - oh who am I kidding , the book is MOSTLY their encounters! Pretty hot stuff. After reading a few I could almost understand the appeal of that type of sexual twist. Of course, in real life if my spouse ever said some of that stuff to me he would get told to go fuck himself, but that's not the point! It was a good primer on how to have a dominant/submissive relationship. When Matthew explains the dynamics of submission to Patience, he is teaching the rest of us, too.
As a romance novel - for me it failed. Utterly. I haven't read Passion, where I believe you are introduced to Matthew and Patience but neither have lots of other people. There should have been something to give me a sense of who Patience and Matthew were, other than a physical description of Patience. As a result I didn't find the romance believable. Especially Matthew. If you're going to sell him as a dominant in a romance novel I think you need to spend a little time making sure the reader likes him, finds him attractive, believes in his love for the heroine - so that the coldness, callousness even, of his sexual encounters with the heroine make you love him, not think the heroine should tell him to fuck off.
And that's another thing. Maybe I'm naive but I don't LIKE reading narrative like this in a historical novel: "Christ, he'd spent his whole fucking life trying to make up for the fact..." and "...she held out the letter. The fucking letter." That's the way WE talk - not the way they did it in 1851. It's jarring.
Dirty words abound - fuck, suck, cunt, quim, cock, cods - over and over and over. The author needs a better thesarus, hers only has 2 entries in it - quim for cunt and cods for balls. The "c" word has it's place but please! Find another euphemism for a vagina! I know "womanly softness" is a little purple, but can't you find something? They used to have some pretty funny words for these body parts 150 years ago - where are they?
Label a novel romance and I'm expecting folks to make love, not do some dirty movie-type fucking, pardon my french. And when he proposes and they consummate their relationship, he says this to her:
"But I shall make you fit me, Patience." Clenching her hair in one hand, he moved the other to her hip, gripping it. His hold was more perfect than any bonds could ever be, for she felt the weight and force of his intent. His eyes captured hers. "I will fuck you..." he said on a harsh whisper, thrusting into her. Her breasts bounced and the severe sound of his voice softened her from the inside out. He thrust deeper. "And fuck you..." His deepening voice melted her like wax. His pubic bone slammed into hers. "I will fuck you until you fit."
Boy, that's sure how I want to "make love" to the man who has just proposed to me.
Aha! That's it. That's what I don't like about this book. I have certain expectations about a historical romance and when it gets messed with, I don't like it. Not one bit. Hmm. Guess I'm more of a romantic than I thought.
In the end I'd say this: just reading the hot parts made for a pretty good erotic bdsm type read for me. 3 stars for that. As a historical romance, 2 stars. I read another review on GR that talked about the beautiful romance novel this was - I would have loved to have read THAT book! It got lost for me in the dom/sub part. They seemed too disconnected to relate them to each other. For me that type of relationship within the context of a historical romance just seems wrong.
I'm disappointed in the type of story it turned out to be, and disappointed in the writing. I'm going to mark this as a DNF for now - I'd be willing to try it again, but now I want to read Passion - where I should have started in the first place.
So here is what I think is the set up for the story.
Matthew is devastated after his "bastardy" is exposed by his mother (nice lady, to be sure) who writes a letter to the London Times. The ton snubs him, friends desert him, his fiancee dumps him and his business interests are threatened with failure. Patience is his new sister-in-law. He yearns for her, but thinks he must regain his standing and set some wrongs to right before she can be his.
I'm not sure how he will deal with all of this, however, because he spends virtually all of his time with his cock throbbing and twitching. All because of Patience. When we meet her, she is telling Matthew that he will get over his fiancee someday soon, because he is just too special to be thrown over. I'm not sure he is paying any particular attention to her, because the author keeps telling us about his cock and all that throbbing and leaking it's doing. By page 11, his tongue is in her mouth and they are in a lustful clinch. Which makes her quim ache. WTF is a quim? Unbeknownst to Matthew (or maybe beknownst, the author doesn't tell us) she has been pining for him as well. Enough to make her quim constantly ache for him. That poor quim. If it's not aching, it's dripping. Poor girl's thighs must be chafed, with all that drippiness happening.
By page 39 not only are we well acquainted with Patience's quim, but we meet her pulsating clitoris. Between the throbbing cocks, aching quims and pulsating clitorises it's difficult to find the plot. What plot, you say? Exactly.
So here is what I got as backstory for Patience: she is unimaginably beautiful and is innundated with suitors. So much so that she is bored. Everything is handed to her. Also, she is gifted at playing the cello. A big instrument that she holds between her legs. Hmm. Think this symbolizes something. She fell in love with her instructor and carries with her his dear john letter to her. She has decided, I think, to never marry or fall in love or some such nonsense. Hard to tell - as much as Matthew's cock is always throbbing, her quim runneth over constantly and that pulsating clitoris interferes with her ability to think too hard about anything. Except Matthew, she thinks of him constantly. She loves his sharp jaw and dark eyes. And golden-tipped hair. That's all we are told about what he looks like. Jeez - what a rip off.
Now Matthew - his deal, I think is that he sees that Patience is bored and restless and needs to have an emotional breakthrough of sorts to come to terms with who she is and what she really wants. He wants it to be him, of course. And apparently, if you are a titled sort in 1851 England the way to accomplish this is to force her to become a submissive. Cut off all of her clothes, tie her up and fuck her face with your huge throbbing cock. Then come in her face. Cause nothing says I love you like a face full of that stuff. WHAT. THE. FUCK.
Make her quim throb for you all day. Spank her. Make her do anything you say, including humping your booted leg to orgasm. Keep her doing your bidding, abuse her physically, then tell her you worship her. Make her submit completely - all she can say is "Yes, Matthew". Because that's what she needs. And that will free her.
Now. If this were a book that I knew was erotic fiction, about a dominant/submissive relationship, I'd have looked at it completely differently. If that's what it was, it was great. There were some pretty hot encounters in the book - oh who am I kidding , the book is MOSTLY their encounters! Pretty hot stuff. After reading a few I could almost understand the appeal of that type of sexual twist. Of course, in real life if my spouse ever said some of that stuff to me he would get told to go fuck himself, but that's not the point! It was a good primer on how to have a dominant/submissive relationship. When Matthew explains the dynamics of submission to Patience, he is teaching the rest of us, too.
As a romance novel - for me it failed. Utterly. I haven't read Passion, where I believe you are introduced to Matthew and Patience but neither have lots of other people. There should have been something to give me a sense of who Patience and Matthew were, other than a physical description of Patience. As a result I didn't find the romance believable. Especially Matthew. If you're going to sell him as a dominant in a romance novel I think you need to spend a little time making sure the reader likes him, finds him attractive, believes in his love for the heroine - so that the coldness, callousness even, of his sexual encounters with the heroine make you love him, not think the heroine should tell him to fuck off.
And that's another thing. Maybe I'm naive but I don't LIKE reading narrative like this in a historical novel: "Christ, he'd spent his whole fucking life trying to make up for the fact..." and "...she held out the letter. The fucking letter." That's the way WE talk - not the way they did it in 1851. It's jarring.
Dirty words abound - fuck, suck, cunt, quim, cock, cods - over and over and over. The author needs a better thesarus, hers only has 2 entries in it - quim for cunt and cods for balls. The "c" word has it's place but please! Find another euphemism for a vagina! I know "womanly softness" is a little purple, but can't you find something? They used to have some pretty funny words for these body parts 150 years ago - where are they?
Label a novel romance and I'm expecting folks to make love, not do some dirty movie-type fucking, pardon my french. And when he proposes and they consummate their relationship, he says this to her:
"But I shall make you fit me, Patience." Clenching her hair in one hand, he moved the other to her hip, gripping it. His hold was more perfect than any bonds could ever be, for she felt the weight and force of his intent. His eyes captured hers. "I will fuck you..." he said on a harsh whisper, thrusting into her. Her breasts bounced and the severe sound of his voice softened her from the inside out. He thrust deeper. "And fuck you..." His deepening voice melted her like wax. His pubic bone slammed into hers. "I will fuck you until you fit."
Boy, that's sure how I want to "make love" to the man who has just proposed to me.
Aha! That's it. That's what I don't like about this book. I have certain expectations about a historical romance and when it gets messed with, I don't like it. Not one bit. Hmm. Guess I'm more of a romantic than I thought.
In the end I'd say this: just reading the hot parts made for a pretty good erotic bdsm type read for me. 3 stars for that. As a historical romance, 2 stars. I read another review on GR that talked about the beautiful romance novel this was - I would have loved to have read THAT book! It got lost for me in the dom/sub part. They seemed too disconnected to relate them to each other. For me that type of relationship within the context of a historical romance just seems wrong.
I'm disappointed in the type of story it turned out to be, and disappointed in the writing. I'm going to mark this as a DNF for now - I'd be willing to try it again, but now I want to read Passion - where I should have started in the first place.
May 9, 2010
“I read but I snoreth…..”
Incoherent, Blasphemous Song of Verity 5.4
After getting a glimpse (the 1st 63 pages) & quitting it a week ago, I forced myself to resume this excruciatingly painful read. @ times I had this weird grin plastered on my face. My enflamed senses wept from the ensuing hilarity, triggered by the steady rivulets of inane dialogues & extremely purple prose. As the twilight approached, I thought the veins on my hands were turning more purple, from reading the sketchy marathon of adjectives. It could be that my bleary eyes were playing tricks on me. The monotonic book’s inundated w/ a flurry of H/H’s cock / cods / clitoris / cunt’s hyperactivities : clenching, tingling, quivering, dripping, pounding, throbbing, pulsing, weeping, twitching, watering, bloating, swelling, sweating, writhing, aching, palpitating etc. She really cracked the jackpot w/ this simmering concoction. The half-baked romance is just a camouflage, no substance beneath it. If they cut down the orgasmic bumping, grinding & cumming, all U get is prolly just 1 % of romance. There’s not a lotta heart & angst. If I read 1 more ‘His cock throbbed’ / ‘Her clitoris pulsed’, I’d scream, but I didn’t wanna wake up my sleep-deprived family. If I were an editor, I’d be too embarrassed to subject potential readers w/ this atrocious claptrap. Matt doesn’t even tear Patience asunder w/ his power of luv (cue Celine Dion’s eardrums-splitting rendition of ‘The power of luv’) until page 302. In this overly-distended 360-page book, we get interminable pages & pages of Matt degrading the TSTF (too stupid to fuck) Patience ‘cuz her divine purpose is merely as his convenient stretchable fuckhole. We should applaud him for restraining himself from bathing his rampant cock in her sacred virginal blood. Patience is his virtue.
I gotta find another mindless book to cleanse my reading palate & self-resuscitate my luv for romance / porn. I felt like spraying Patience’s clitoris w/ a potent anesthetic.
“Her blood pulsed & her clitoris pulsed in recognition of his presence.”
W/ Matt’s constant adjusting of his tight pants, I pondered if it woulda been more prudent (despite his dire financial straits) if he’d just custom-make more baggy pants, to accommodate his ever-present boner whenever Patience’s ballooning, elastic sex is in the vicinity. The conflict (cello vs Matt’s insatiable prick) :
“My cello is important because it challenges me & never disappoints me. And despite the fact that it is but wood & string, it comforts & satisfies me.”
Hmm… Yeah, sure. So does Matt’s throbbing cock, sweetie. I’d pick Matt’s friggin’ instrument of pleasure to pluck my strings. There’s also her lips-on practice w/ the infamous cucumbers. Why not the bedpost or hairbrush ? Dudette, it’s a sad state of affairs indeed when hormones are raging uncontrollably & only thick cucumbers get utilized as instruments of pleasure. The H/H’s characterizations are as deep as their bubbly, frothy cum. Her redundant verbage & irrelevant parody are a testament to what happens when an editor buys a 1-way ticket to snoozefest & gives a widely-established author full reign to cram as many repetitive trashy phrases during her 5 years of writing. Could the delay be ‘cuz the purple prose wasn’t purple enuff that the draft got sent back to crank it up another notch ? Who gives a fig. Mayhap this is simply a springboard to pop the next installment out in another 5 years. Methinks my fav scenes are the clinical 69 scene & Patience’s undignified leg-humping / clitoris-rupturing scene, rabid doggy style. I almost burst a spleen as I drowned in my own unforeseen chortles. Not trying to pick apart a fluffly, timeless masterpiece here, it’s just too campy for words. My fav lines / vital descriptions :
... tightening her legs around his rugged hips.
He felt no pity for her passionate distress.
“Feel the power of my love.”
“I will fuck U until U fit.” (she's not shopping for shoes @ Payless !)
His ponderous prick rose florid & dark.
Move over Bertrice Small, the grande dame of purple prose has arrived in town. LV is the reigning queen < rolls out red carpet >. Did I luv every friggin’ minute of it ? Nope, but it’s gloriously bad. 2 stars for sheer audacity.
Incoherent, Blasphemous Song of Verity 5.4
After getting a glimpse (the 1st 63 pages) & quitting it a week ago, I forced myself to resume this excruciatingly painful read. @ times I had this weird grin plastered on my face. My enflamed senses wept from the ensuing hilarity, triggered by the steady rivulets of inane dialogues & extremely purple prose. As the twilight approached, I thought the veins on my hands were turning more purple, from reading the sketchy marathon of adjectives. It could be that my bleary eyes were playing tricks on me. The monotonic book’s inundated w/ a flurry of H/H’s cock / cods / clitoris / cunt’s hyperactivities : clenching, tingling, quivering, dripping, pounding, throbbing, pulsing, weeping, twitching, watering, bloating, swelling, sweating, writhing, aching, palpitating etc. She really cracked the jackpot w/ this simmering concoction. The half-baked romance is just a camouflage, no substance beneath it. If they cut down the orgasmic bumping, grinding & cumming, all U get is prolly just 1 % of romance. There’s not a lotta heart & angst. If I read 1 more ‘His cock throbbed’ / ‘Her clitoris pulsed’, I’d scream, but I didn’t wanna wake up my sleep-deprived family. If I were an editor, I’d be too embarrassed to subject potential readers w/ this atrocious claptrap. Matt doesn’t even tear Patience asunder w/ his power of luv (cue Celine Dion’s eardrums-splitting rendition of ‘The power of luv’) until page 302. In this overly-distended 360-page book, we get interminable pages & pages of Matt degrading the TSTF (too stupid to fuck) Patience ‘cuz her divine purpose is merely as his convenient stretchable fuckhole. We should applaud him for restraining himself from bathing his rampant cock in her sacred virginal blood. Patience is his virtue.
I gotta find another mindless book to cleanse my reading palate & self-resuscitate my luv for romance / porn. I felt like spraying Patience’s clitoris w/ a potent anesthetic.
“Her blood pulsed & her clitoris pulsed in recognition of his presence.”
W/ Matt’s constant adjusting of his tight pants, I pondered if it woulda been more prudent (despite his dire financial straits) if he’d just custom-make more baggy pants, to accommodate his ever-present boner whenever Patience’s ballooning, elastic sex is in the vicinity. The conflict (cello vs Matt’s insatiable prick) :
“My cello is important because it challenges me & never disappoints me. And despite the fact that it is but wood & string, it comforts & satisfies me.”
Hmm… Yeah, sure. So does Matt’s throbbing cock, sweetie. I’d pick Matt’s friggin’ instrument of pleasure to pluck my strings. There’s also her lips-on practice w/ the infamous cucumbers. Why not the bedpost or hairbrush ? Dudette, it’s a sad state of affairs indeed when hormones are raging uncontrollably & only thick cucumbers get utilized as instruments of pleasure. The H/H’s characterizations are as deep as their bubbly, frothy cum. Her redundant verbage & irrelevant parody are a testament to what happens when an editor buys a 1-way ticket to snoozefest & gives a widely-established author full reign to cram as many repetitive trashy phrases during her 5 years of writing. Could the delay be ‘cuz the purple prose wasn’t purple enuff that the draft got sent back to crank it up another notch ? Who gives a fig. Mayhap this is simply a springboard to pop the next installment out in another 5 years. Methinks my fav scenes are the clinical 69 scene & Patience’s undignified leg-humping / clitoris-rupturing scene, rabid doggy style. I almost burst a spleen as I drowned in my own unforeseen chortles. Not trying to pick apart a fluffly, timeless masterpiece here, it’s just too campy for words. My fav lines / vital descriptions :
... tightening her legs around his rugged hips.
He felt no pity for her passionate distress.
“Feel the power of my love.”
“I will fuck U until U fit.” (she's not shopping for shoes @ Payless !)
His ponderous prick rose florid & dark.
Move over Bertrice Small, the grande dame of purple prose has arrived in town. LV is the reigning queen < rolls out red carpet >. Did I luv every friggin’ minute of it ? Nope, but it’s gloriously bad. 2 stars for sheer audacity.
March 30, 2010
As I read Patience, a few things stood out for me:
The virginal heroine Patience has an interesting family trait: thick, distended nipples. She's also is skilled at giving fellatio because when she and her sisters where little girls, they spotted one of their maids "servicing" their butler. From that educational viewing, they decided to grab some cucumbers from their family's garden and practice their sucking techniques. Patience becomes so good at "servicing" cucumbers that she soon wins the, "very excerpt at not scoring the skin" blue ribbon. Patience also enjoys having her bottom spanked by the hero countless times, over the other incredible sexual pleasures his is more than willing to give her.
The hero Matthew deeply appreciates Patience's skills at fellatio, so much so, his release is much like the "fiery waters of the river Styx, his cum was a fierce and flowing tide." And as his river floweth, Patience "found her rapture while drinking voraciously of the virile communication he fed her."
This is only a small introduction to Lisa Valdez's erotic historical romance, Patience that has taken five years to be published. Back in 2005 when Lisa arrived on the scene, Passion was unlike anything Berkley published under their historical romance line. Now years later, many historical romances have followed Liza Valdez's lead. I'm not sure if she was an influence, but she was one of few, including Robin Schone, and in a way, also Stephanie Laurens, who really upped the ante when writing sensual love scenes.
Patience picks up a few months after the heroine Passion, and the hero Mark, of Passion have been married. Matthew Hawkmore's (Mark's half-brother) reputation is in tatters. His witch of a mother has admitted to an affair she once had with her gardener. Matthew was created from that union and now all of British society knows he's a bastard. His ex-fiancé, Rosalind Benchley, who comes from one of the purest lines in England, has turned her back on him. Her father wants to ruin Matthew because he assumes Matthew hid the truth about his parentage. Matthew in turn wants revenge against Benchley, because Benchley is spreading vicious rumors about Matthew and hopes to push him into selling his pride and joy, the Grand West Railway. Matthew is enraged and wants to lash out against his skanky mother, his friends who now ignore him, and most of all Rosalind, who will soon marry another man, but still wants Matthew, but as her lover.
As Matthew is trying to recoup, he can't get another woman out of his mind. She's Patience Emmaline Dare, his new sister-in-law, and current obsession. He first met Patience while he was still engaged to Rosalind before everything hit the fan. And because he thought he loved Rosalind and wanted to be faithful to her, he chose to ignore those pangs of lust that have grown steadily for the fair Patience. But now that Matthew is a free man, he wants Patience. He feels if he can dominate her and have her succumb to his masterful lovemaking, he will feel whole again.
Patience wants Matthew dearly and hates to see him suffer so. While she stays with her sister and her new husband, she tries to confront her own demons of the past. She's very skilled at playing the cello and thinks of this instrument as her one true love. (No, she doesn't "love" her cello in that way you maybe thinking) In a few weeks, she will go off and train with a talented master of music, who coincidentally also taught Matthew to play the cello. Matthew refuses to let Patience leave and wants to be her only master and rule her body, mind and soul. He knows deep down Patience wants nothing more than to receive pleasure and give it in return. He wants to channel her inner submissiveness and have surrender to him. Matthew decides on a course of action that will change both their lives forever.
Patience accepts Matthew's rules, with only one consideration, her virginity must stay intact. Over the next few weeks she and Matthew will come together, and through heightened sexual pleasures, with no intercourse, he will reach deep down into Patience's soul and through his skilled caressed and kisses, she'll kneel at his alter, to the point she'll live and breathe Matthew and won't ever think of leaving him. When Matthew finally has Patience where he wants her, he'll claim her as his own.
Patience has pages of pages of intense foreplay of many sexual euphemisms for various sexual acts, nicknames for the female and male anatomy and enough purple prose to make your head spin. We have an alpha, brooding, forceful hero, who pushes the envelope in such a way that should be shocking, but isn't. He's all for giving out punishments to his virginal, lover of the cucumber, who wants nothing more than to bend over and take it. But that bending over is not what you think. See, Patience is very much a giver, her mouth is always open too receive Matthew. As a reward, Matthew spanks Patience, where she grows a fetish for it. I expected her tush to have a permanent hand mark, a tattoo if you will, from all the heavy paddling Matthew gives her. And even though Patience can barely sit, she wants even more.
These boundaries that should be broken and should come across as all consuming, passionate and tempestuous, are not. The sexual play Matthew and Patience act out another is very cold and calculating, much as if I was reading a gynecological how to exam. It's pretty sad to find yourself bored and not titillated in anyway, especially since this is considered to be an erotic romance. I was not engaged, aroused or connected emotionally in any way with Matthew and Patience. Matthew came across as a manipulative, whiny bore, and although I did like the way Patience was portrayed, she was just so long winded, especially during those tender, let's spill our souls, scenes with her sister. I was bored half-way through and it took a great deal from me to continue reading.
Something was very much missing between these two main characters. Whereas I felt the connection between Passion and Mark right from the beginning, I couldn't see anything special between Matthew and Patience at all. Regardless of the amount of sucking, sobbing, stretching, stroking, hungry tasting and touching, everything fell flat.
I really wanted to root for Patience and Matthew and find enjoyment when they came together, but they were just too dull. Even with the passionate pleas of claiming on Matthew's end, and Patience's inner turmoil and final therapeutic breakthrough, and the knowledge that their love has set them both free, I never believed in their mutual attraction and communion by fiery lust for one another.
I will say that Lisa does have a great historical voice, but overall the core of Patience is very much a thin wallpaper tale with a very tepid and lacking erotic appeal.
The virginal heroine Patience has an interesting family trait: thick, distended nipples. She's also is skilled at giving fellatio because when she and her sisters where little girls, they spotted one of their maids "servicing" their butler. From that educational viewing, they decided to grab some cucumbers from their family's garden and practice their sucking techniques. Patience becomes so good at "servicing" cucumbers that she soon wins the, "very excerpt at not scoring the skin" blue ribbon. Patience also enjoys having her bottom spanked by the hero countless times, over the other incredible sexual pleasures his is more than willing to give her.
The hero Matthew deeply appreciates Patience's skills at fellatio, so much so, his release is much like the "fiery waters of the river Styx, his cum was a fierce and flowing tide." And as his river floweth, Patience "found her rapture while drinking voraciously of the virile communication he fed her."
This is only a small introduction to Lisa Valdez's erotic historical romance, Patience that has taken five years to be published. Back in 2005 when Lisa arrived on the scene, Passion was unlike anything Berkley published under their historical romance line. Now years later, many historical romances have followed Liza Valdez's lead. I'm not sure if she was an influence, but she was one of few, including Robin Schone, and in a way, also Stephanie Laurens, who really upped the ante when writing sensual love scenes.
Patience picks up a few months after the heroine Passion, and the hero Mark, of Passion have been married. Matthew Hawkmore's (Mark's half-brother) reputation is in tatters. His witch of a mother has admitted to an affair she once had with her gardener. Matthew was created from that union and now all of British society knows he's a bastard. His ex-fiancé, Rosalind Benchley, who comes from one of the purest lines in England, has turned her back on him. Her father wants to ruin Matthew because he assumes Matthew hid the truth about his parentage. Matthew in turn wants revenge against Benchley, because Benchley is spreading vicious rumors about Matthew and hopes to push him into selling his pride and joy, the Grand West Railway. Matthew is enraged and wants to lash out against his skanky mother, his friends who now ignore him, and most of all Rosalind, who will soon marry another man, but still wants Matthew, but as her lover.
As Matthew is trying to recoup, he can't get another woman out of his mind. She's Patience Emmaline Dare, his new sister-in-law, and current obsession. He first met Patience while he was still engaged to Rosalind before everything hit the fan. And because he thought he loved Rosalind and wanted to be faithful to her, he chose to ignore those pangs of lust that have grown steadily for the fair Patience. But now that Matthew is a free man, he wants Patience. He feels if he can dominate her and have her succumb to his masterful lovemaking, he will feel whole again.
Patience wants Matthew dearly and hates to see him suffer so. While she stays with her sister and her new husband, she tries to confront her own demons of the past. She's very skilled at playing the cello and thinks of this instrument as her one true love. (No, she doesn't "love" her cello in that way you maybe thinking) In a few weeks, she will go off and train with a talented master of music, who coincidentally also taught Matthew to play the cello. Matthew refuses to let Patience leave and wants to be her only master and rule her body, mind and soul. He knows deep down Patience wants nothing more than to receive pleasure and give it in return. He wants to channel her inner submissiveness and have surrender to him. Matthew decides on a course of action that will change both their lives forever.
Patience accepts Matthew's rules, with only one consideration, her virginity must stay intact. Over the next few weeks she and Matthew will come together, and through heightened sexual pleasures, with no intercourse, he will reach deep down into Patience's soul and through his skilled caressed and kisses, she'll kneel at his alter, to the point she'll live and breathe Matthew and won't ever think of leaving him. When Matthew finally has Patience where he wants her, he'll claim her as his own.
Patience has pages of pages of intense foreplay of many sexual euphemisms for various sexual acts, nicknames for the female and male anatomy and enough purple prose to make your head spin. We have an alpha, brooding, forceful hero, who pushes the envelope in such a way that should be shocking, but isn't. He's all for giving out punishments to his virginal, lover of the cucumber, who wants nothing more than to bend over and take it. But that bending over is not what you think. See, Patience is very much a giver, her mouth is always open too receive Matthew. As a reward, Matthew spanks Patience, where she grows a fetish for it. I expected her tush to have a permanent hand mark, a tattoo if you will, from all the heavy paddling Matthew gives her. And even though Patience can barely sit, she wants even more.
These boundaries that should be broken and should come across as all consuming, passionate and tempestuous, are not. The sexual play Matthew and Patience act out another is very cold and calculating, much as if I was reading a gynecological how to exam. It's pretty sad to find yourself bored and not titillated in anyway, especially since this is considered to be an erotic romance. I was not engaged, aroused or connected emotionally in any way with Matthew and Patience. Matthew came across as a manipulative, whiny bore, and although I did like the way Patience was portrayed, she was just so long winded, especially during those tender, let's spill our souls, scenes with her sister. I was bored half-way through and it took a great deal from me to continue reading.
Something was very much missing between these two main characters. Whereas I felt the connection between Passion and Mark right from the beginning, I couldn't see anything special between Matthew and Patience at all. Regardless of the amount of sucking, sobbing, stretching, stroking, hungry tasting and touching, everything fell flat.
I really wanted to root for Patience and Matthew and find enjoyment when they came together, but they were just too dull. Even with the passionate pleas of claiming on Matthew's end, and Patience's inner turmoil and final therapeutic breakthrough, and the knowledge that their love has set them both free, I never believed in their mutual attraction and communion by fiery lust for one another.
I will say that Lisa does have a great historical voice, but overall the core of Patience is very much a thin wallpaper tale with a very tepid and lacking erotic appeal.
November 26, 2022
4.25*
EROTICA with EMOTIONS and a SOLID STORY
So, it's not a fluke. Lisa Valdez is good at what she does. Really good.
“Did God not create Eve in answer to Adam’s needs and desires?”
... “a philosophical and biblically based belief in feminine submission”
As expected, here too there's a strong interweaving of the Bible - The Gospel of St. Matthew (of course) and 'The Songs of Solomon' complete with the dreams.
EROTICA with EMOTIONS and a SOLID STORY
So, it's not a fluke. Lisa Valdez is good at what she does. Really good.
“Did God not create Eve in answer to Adam’s needs and desires?”
... “a philosophical and biblically based belief in feminine submission”
As expected, here too there's a strong interweaving of the Bible - The Gospel of St. Matthew (of course) and 'The Songs of Solomon' complete with the dreams.
December 23, 2020
“I want to see every struggle and every victory. I want to see each precious tear and each magnificent smile.”
“I want all of you, every bit of you, for myself.”
Passion and Patience, although sisters, are very different. They have separate views of life and they have suffered through dissimilar things and so want, or rather, think they want different things in life.
We left Matthew thinking his beloved Rosalind would love him no matter what, even when it would be publicly known he was a bastard. But (surprise, surprise!) she did not. And so he is left alone to discover who he really is and how to navigate high society with this scandal.
His gaze dropped to her mouth. “And you—you shall light my dark world.”
Enter this two broken souls who think love is not in the cards for them. Will Matthew be enough to break Patience barriers? Will Patience be able to discover her true unapologetic self? Will Matthew be able to fix his reputation? Does love really conquer all?
If you want to find out, then read this book.
“You can’t live in the eye of a storm, Patience. There’s nothing there. It’s calm and empty, but it’s not life. Life is in the whirlwind.” His gaze was so earnest. “Love and happiness are in the whirlwind.”
I am so pleased that this book was so different from the first one. Usually authors tend to write the same story with different characters as they write more books in a series, but this one was completely different from Passion’s.
The only reason I couldn’t bring myself to rate it any higher was because the book felt way too long. And it wasn’t that it was particularly bad, but it was unnecessarily long. I mean, 450 pages? Sometimes I grew bored and felt like things were often overexplained and overanalyzed.
December 25, 2020
Çok kötüydü. Çook.
April 5, 2010
OK, I had a hard time deciding what to rate this book, that's why it took me so long to write this review. I have just recently reread Passion and LOVED it very much even the second time around. I was wanting to get my hands on Patience badly after waiting 5 years for the book. Those of you who know my tastes in books know that I like my books steamy hot. I'd rather read romantica than erotica though.
I must say that I don't care too much for submission/ domination and pain for pleasure type of books. I personally just don't get it. I had a hard time with feeling the love between Patience and Matt during all of the sex scenes. That's what they were doing, having sex, not making love. Now on the other hand I must say I felt the love they had for each other in the normal day to day living just not when they had sex. I wonder why Lisa decided to take this rout with this book. Was it to shock everyone so that this book would be talked about more so that people would want to see for themselves what they thought? So what I'm saying is, I did not like the sex scenes at all in this book. They were not for me.
I also want to say that except for the sex scenes I really enjoyed the rest of the book. I liked the story a LOT and was really happy that Lisa included Passion, Mark and Aunt Matty in this book. If the sex scenes were not written as they were this would have been a 4 or 5 star book for me.
I am curious to see what my buddies here think of this book so please don't let my review change your mind about reading it. Everyone has different tastes and views and for all I know you might love it or hate it.
I must say that I don't care too much for submission/ domination and pain for pleasure type of books. I personally just don't get it. I had a hard time with feeling the love between Patience and Matt during all of the sex scenes. That's what they were doing, having sex, not making love. Now on the other hand I must say I felt the love they had for each other in the normal day to day living just not when they had sex. I wonder why Lisa decided to take this rout with this book. Was it to shock everyone so that this book would be talked about more so that people would want to see for themselves what they thought? So what I'm saying is, I did not like the sex scenes at all in this book. They were not for me.
I also want to say that except for the sex scenes I really enjoyed the rest of the book. I liked the story a LOT and was really happy that Lisa included Passion, Mark and Aunt Matty in this book. If the sex scenes were not written as they were this would have been a 4 or 5 star book for me.
I am curious to see what my buddies here think of this book so please don't let my review change your mind about reading it. Everyone has different tastes and views and for all I know you might love it or hate it.
May 3, 2010
This was more like a "HOW TO" book in my opinion, "HOW TO MAKE SOMEONE TOTALLY SUBMIT" or "A LESSON IN BRAINWASHING " might have being a better title.
The Dom/Sub theme wasn't the only problem for me as it is in most erotic books and I don't mind it. But this book takes it to the extreme and beyond. In one scene Matthew teased Patience then left her tied to the bed for HOURS, I personally think most women would heve stood on his head if he did that to them, but each to their own and I am totally open minded to a bit of play and variety, adventure etc in books.
My main problem was Matthew, I felt more love from him for his exfiance Rosalind in "Passion" than in this book for Patience. Rosalind hurt him bad and now he is on the rebound and no woman was ever going to rule him again and that is what I believe after reading this. He didn't just want to be master in the bedroom but now was a total control freak who wanted to control and rule Patience totally. He wrote and got an important music tuition cancelled just to keep her from leaving and the spanking in the rain was close to abusive as Patience was crying . I hated his "dont hide your tears they please me", Maybe I just like my Heros to comfort the women they love when they are crying, not keep hitting them. There was no romance or love in him, even when he was giving her a compliment it sounded false and cold.
Clearly Matthew was always a Dominant but now it seemed that Matthew at last got someone he could bend to his will (mentally as well as physically)and no way was he letting her go, love..hell no, possesion..yes. It was like brainwashing a girl who was in awe of him and trusted him, "If it pleases me it will please you", "you will get your pleasure through my pleasure" repeating constantly over and over.
I also don't get the point of the bible quotes? and bible referances?
"Did god not create eve in answer to adams needs and desires"
"Men carry the staff of their dominance between their legs, what greater proof can there be that feminine submission is gods will"etc.
I think it is clear what Matthew thought of women, here only for the pleasure of men.
As I have said I dont mind reading about a man/woman wanting to be master in the bedroom and the Sub/Dom theme, it was cold arrogant Matthew both inside and outside the bedroom I disliked. I like my H/H to believe they are equals and if this story was real life I could see Patience in a couple of years still worshipping him and browbeaten asking him could she use the loo! "Please Matthew", "Thank You Matthew". This book is a story of submission and a control freak, it is not a love story. I hated it but kept reading in the hope that LV might redeem the characters, well she didn,t it just got worse.
What I did like was Fitzroy and Micky Wilkes and they are the reason this book got a star, and I hope they are in the next book if they are I will buy it and hope it as enjoyable as "Passion".
The Dom/Sub theme wasn't the only problem for me as it is in most erotic books and I don't mind it. But this book takes it to the extreme and beyond. In one scene Matthew teased Patience then left her tied to the bed for HOURS, I personally think most women would heve stood on his head if he did that to them, but each to their own and I am totally open minded to a bit of play and variety, adventure etc in books.
My main problem was Matthew, I felt more love from him for his exfiance Rosalind in "Passion" than in this book for Patience. Rosalind hurt him bad and now he is on the rebound and no woman was ever going to rule him again and that is what I believe after reading this. He didn't just want to be master in the bedroom but now was a total control freak who wanted to control and rule Patience totally. He wrote and got an important music tuition cancelled just to keep her from leaving and the spanking in the rain was close to abusive as Patience was crying . I hated his "dont hide your tears they please me", Maybe I just like my Heros to comfort the women they love when they are crying, not keep hitting them. There was no romance or love in him, even when he was giving her a compliment it sounded false and cold.
Clearly Matthew was always a Dominant but now it seemed that Matthew at last got someone he could bend to his will (mentally as well as physically)and no way was he letting her go, love..hell no, possesion..yes. It was like brainwashing a girl who was in awe of him and trusted him, "If it pleases me it will please you", "you will get your pleasure through my pleasure" repeating constantly over and over.
I also don't get the point of the bible quotes? and bible referances?
"Did god not create eve in answer to adams needs and desires"
"Men carry the staff of their dominance between their legs, what greater proof can there be that feminine submission is gods will"etc.
I think it is clear what Matthew thought of women, here only for the pleasure of men.
As I have said I dont mind reading about a man/woman wanting to be master in the bedroom and the Sub/Dom theme, it was cold arrogant Matthew both inside and outside the bedroom I disliked. I like my H/H to believe they are equals and if this story was real life I could see Patience in a couple of years still worshipping him and browbeaten asking him could she use the loo! "Please Matthew", "Thank You Matthew". This book is a story of submission and a control freak, it is not a love story. I hated it but kept reading in the hope that LV might redeem the characters, well she didn,t it just got worse.
What I did like was Fitzroy and Micky Wilkes and they are the reason this book got a star, and I hope they are in the next book if they are I will buy it and hope it as enjoyable as "Passion".
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
April 10, 2010****************************CONTAINS SPOILERS************************************************
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As you can see, I have not given this book any *'s and if I could, I would give negative *'s. IMHO this book was so bad that after reading hundreds of books, this book has the distinction of being the only one I could not finish.
I had an idea about the theme before I even started but I felt I could keep an open mind. I tried, really I tried to be understanding and I have read other books that deal with bdsm and haven't had a problem with them.
I thought it would be the same with this. As I started reading, at first I was mildly uncomfortable and then started disliking the characters especially Matthew. I read on and skimmed over all the punishments and humiliations as much as I could. The more i read, the more disturbed and uncomfortable I felt. I then came to the part in the book where Matthew gave Patience an unending hard spanking that would in my opinion not only bruise severely but would break the skin and possibly break bones. Next, to add insult to injury, Matthew said "Your tears make me hot and hard, and I will never tire of them. But, of course, they are not a reprieve." It was at this point I was done.
I am not a violent person but if Matthew were a real person I think I would have to kick his ass. I have never disliked a character in a book more and I don't think much of Patience either for allowing or liking this treatment.
I loved the first book Passion and felt there was real love between Mark and Passion. I didn't feel any love between Matthew and Patience only a sick kind of dominance over someone else that was cruel and selfish.
What a huge disappointment.
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As you can see, I have not given this book any *'s and if I could, I would give negative *'s. IMHO this book was so bad that after reading hundreds of books, this book has the distinction of being the only one I could not finish.
I had an idea about the theme before I even started but I felt I could keep an open mind. I tried, really I tried to be understanding and I have read other books that deal with bdsm and haven't had a problem with them.
I thought it would be the same with this. As I started reading, at first I was mildly uncomfortable and then started disliking the characters especially Matthew. I read on and skimmed over all the punishments and humiliations as much as I could. The more i read, the more disturbed and uncomfortable I felt. I then came to the part in the book where Matthew gave Patience an unending hard spanking that would in my opinion not only bruise severely but would break the skin and possibly break bones. Next, to add insult to injury, Matthew said "Your tears make me hot and hard, and I will never tire of them. But, of course, they are not a reprieve." It was at this point I was done.
I am not a violent person but if Matthew were a real person I think I would have to kick his ass. I have never disliked a character in a book more and I don't think much of Patience either for allowing or liking this treatment.
I loved the first book Passion and felt there was real love between Mark and Passion. I didn't feel any love between Matthew and Patience only a sick kind of dominance over someone else that was cruel and selfish.
What a huge disappointment.
April 7, 2010
I read "Passion" about 4 years ago, while searching for really good smutty romance. I immediately fell in love with it. After reading romance for almost 20 years, it's amazing to find a romance author that can surprise you, and surprise me Lisa Valdez did.
Yesterday, Lisa surprised me again.
I'm not a huge fan of the the dom/submissive genre. I can dip a toe in, but I get bored with the endless spankings, and the nipple clamps, and the 'shut up and do as I say'
I'd also read all the rumors of why it had taken so long for 'Patience' to come out. I was worried that it would be a watered down version of the very things I loved about 'Passion'. I expected same ole, same ole.
Yet, Lisa Valdez didn't fail me at all.
Yes, there is spanking, yes, there is language that would cause drunken sailors on leave to run for the soap to wash out your mouth, but it was handled in a way that was really...sexy. And oddly sweet.
To the point that when the Patience and Matthew actually have "Lisa Valdez 'Vanilla' Sex" (Lisa's vanilla sex is still about 3 steps above even your smuttiest of smut) I kind of missed all the stuff that had come before it.
I got to know Mark and Passion so well over the years, I've reread their book so many times, I will always think of them as the top and the best. Yet, I read "Patience" in one night, and blushed, and laughed, and enjoyed it thoroughly.
For all those out there that have eagerly been waiting for this book, and that includes all the women who were 'Outraged', and 'Made uncomfortable' by the graphic content of "Passion' yet, could still quote verbatim entire passages of the book. I think you'll enjoy this one too. :)
Yesterday, Lisa surprised me again.
I'm not a huge fan of the the dom/submissive genre. I can dip a toe in, but I get bored with the endless spankings, and the nipple clamps, and the 'shut up and do as I say'
I'd also read all the rumors of why it had taken so long for 'Patience' to come out. I was worried that it would be a watered down version of the very things I loved about 'Passion'. I expected same ole, same ole.
Yet, Lisa Valdez didn't fail me at all.
Yes, there is spanking, yes, there is language that would cause drunken sailors on leave to run for the soap to wash out your mouth, but it was handled in a way that was really...sexy. And oddly sweet.
To the point that when the Patience and Matthew actually have "Lisa Valdez 'Vanilla' Sex" (Lisa's vanilla sex is still about 3 steps above even your smuttiest of smut) I kind of missed all the stuff that had come before it.
I got to know Mark and Passion so well over the years, I've reread their book so many times, I will always think of them as the top and the best. Yet, I read "Patience" in one night, and blushed, and laughed, and enjoyed it thoroughly.
For all those out there that have eagerly been waiting for this book, and that includes all the women who were 'Outraged', and 'Made uncomfortable' by the graphic content of "Passion' yet, could still quote verbatim entire passages of the book. I think you'll enjoy this one too. :)
December 4, 2020
Not as good as Passion but still pretty wholesome. I might've cried a bit again (just a tiny bit coz I'm a sucker for lonely character).
Again, it was scorchingly hot. Though I'm a bit frustrated that they didn't exactly have 'sex' until at the very end. In the meantime, they did everything else in between. And I mean EVERYTHING.
Also another thing that surprised was the BDSM element in this book. I don't think I have ever read a BDSM-esque historical romance before. So that was a first.
All in all, I love it very much so and extremely sad by this author's long drawn hiatus from writing. I don't even know when we can get Primrose's book.
Again, it was scorchingly hot. Though I'm a bit frustrated that they didn't exactly have 'sex' until at the very end. In the meantime, they did everything else in between. And I mean EVERYTHING.
Also another thing that surprised was the BDSM element in this book. I don't think I have ever read a BDSM-esque historical romance before. So that was a first.
All in all, I love it very much so and extremely sad by this author's long drawn hiatus from writing. I don't even know when we can get Primrose's book.
October 2, 2017
İki kitabın da yazarı aynı mı gerçekten? Tutku’da ne kadar şaşırdıysam bunda da o kadar şaşırdım gerçi, ama olumsuz anlamda.
Matt ilk kitapta nasıl naif, sevimli, ince düşünceli bir karakterse, bu kitapta tam ters köşe, huysuz, zorlama, düşüncesiz, umursamaz, fazla dominant bir karakterdi. Dominant-itaatkar ilişkisi bana fazla zorlama , fazla sert geldi. Matt’in fazla baskıcı-zorba karakteri, aşık yönünün çok önüne geçmiş. Sevgiden, aşktan çok aitlik, sahiplik, hükümdarlık yönü ağır basmış ilişkinin.
Patience ise çok silik kalmış, Matt’in sunduğu farklı dünyayı, hiç sorgulamadan kabul etti. En ufak bir direniş göstermeden, itiraz etmeden kendini itaat ederken buldu. Oysa böyle bir ilişki yaşanacaksa bile, kitabın sonunda gösterdiği sert ve kendinden emin duruştan bir parçacık da olsa ilişkinin başında okumak isterdim.
1800’lü yılların Christian-Anastasia’sı oldu çift benim için. Biri aşırı dominat erkek, diğeri silik kız karakter. İtaatkar olmak silik olmak demek değil bana göre, bu yüzdendir ki hikaye karakterler ve aşk açısından sınıfta kaldı.
Keşke biraz daha Mark-Passion okusaydık bu kitapta da, en azından çocuklarının doğumunu, Mark’ın babalık hallerini okumak isterdim.
Matt ilk kitapta nasıl naif, sevimli, ince düşünceli bir karakterse, bu kitapta tam ters köşe, huysuz, zorlama, düşüncesiz, umursamaz, fazla dominant bir karakterdi. Dominant-itaatkar ilişkisi bana fazla zorlama , fazla sert geldi. Matt’in fazla baskıcı-zorba karakteri, aşık yönünün çok önüne geçmiş. Sevgiden, aşktan çok aitlik, sahiplik, hükümdarlık yönü ağır basmış ilişkinin.
Patience ise çok silik kalmış, Matt’in sunduğu farklı dünyayı, hiç sorgulamadan kabul etti. En ufak bir direniş göstermeden, itiraz etmeden kendini itaat ederken buldu. Oysa böyle bir ilişki yaşanacaksa bile, kitabın sonunda gösterdiği sert ve kendinden emin duruştan bir parçacık da olsa ilişkinin başında okumak isterdim.
1800’lü yılların Christian-Anastasia’sı oldu çift benim için. Biri aşırı dominat erkek, diğeri silik kız karakter. İtaatkar olmak silik olmak demek değil bana göre, bu yüzdendir ki hikaye karakterler ve aşk açısından sınıfta kaldı.
Keşke biraz daha Mark-Passion okusaydık bu kitapta da, en azından çocuklarının doğumunu, Mark’ın babalık hallerini okumak isterdim.
January 26, 2020
ay bi daha okudum, reread senesi gibi bir şey oldu resmen. yorum yazayım dedim ben de.
benim için en başarılı bdsm erotik romancedır. çünkü üçünün birden hakkını veren bir kitap.
ilk kitap, biricik abi ve ablalarının hikayeleri lirik bir romantizmdi. bu kitap salt içgüdü şehvet ve aşk.
bdsm çünkü kızın sub oluşunu kabulü (ne bu inkılap tarihi mi) ve oğlanın, o kendini dom sanan baskıcı oçlardan olmayışı
erotik çünkü yani kamon :D cümlenin içinde nadir cinsel organ adları geçip gerçekleştirilen eylem için kullanılacak fiilleri kullanmadan yazarak baştan çıkarıyor sizi, yani
romance çünkü allahım of. bu iki salağın da içinden söyledikleri, hele matthew'un söyleyemedikleri... ben size iltifat ya da itiraflarından da bahsetmiyorum ayrıca.
ota boka söylenen bir insanım u know, lakin ben bu kitapta zerre zorlama, manipüle etme fln görmüyorum, katarsis gibi bi durum var. explicit sahnelerin bile dozu şahane.
ve sabır derken sadece kız için söyleniyor sanıyorsanız daha büyük dalalet içindesiniz demektir. erkeğin yalnızca domine ettiği ve eğittiği ve baştan çıktığı değil onun da ilişkideki statüsünü 'statü' olarak net şekilde okuduğumuz ender kitaplardan bence.
benim için en başarılı bdsm erotik romancedır. çünkü üçünün birden hakkını veren bir kitap.
ilk kitap, biricik abi ve ablalarının hikayeleri lirik bir romantizmdi. bu kitap salt içgüdü şehvet ve aşk.
bdsm çünkü kızın sub oluşunu kabulü (ne bu inkılap tarihi mi) ve oğlanın, o kendini dom sanan baskıcı oçlardan olmayışı
erotik çünkü yani kamon :D cümlenin içinde nadir cinsel organ adları geçip gerçekleştirilen eylem için kullanılacak fiilleri kullanmadan yazarak baştan çıkarıyor sizi, yani
romance çünkü allahım of. bu iki salağın da içinden söyledikleri, hele matthew'un söyleyemedikleri... ben size iltifat ya da itiraflarından da bahsetmiyorum ayrıca.
ota boka söylenen bir insanım u know, lakin ben bu kitapta zerre zorlama, manipüle etme fln görmüyorum, katarsis gibi bi durum var. explicit sahnelerin bile dozu şahane.
ve sabır derken sadece kız için söyleniyor sanıyorsanız daha büyük dalalet içindesiniz demektir. erkeğin yalnızca domine ettiği ve eğittiği ve baştan çıktığı değil onun da ilişkideki statüsünü 'statü' olarak net şekilde okuduğumuz ender kitaplardan bence.
üstüne laf söyleyeni şaplaklarım.
xoxoxo
iko
April 21, 2010
My feelings about this book are so divided, there were parts that I loved and unfortunately parts that I could not get past and could not understand. So because I have such feelings that are on opposite sides of the spectrum I am rating this book 3 stars.
What I loved...
Matt was immediately attracted to Patience when they first met in Passion and he was very intrigued by her. If you read Passion then you know that at the time he was engaged to another woman.
I thought the storyline was unique... Matt's illegitimacy was revealed and he was facing utter ruination, everything he had achieved in his lifetime was falling apart. His engagement to Rosalind had been broken, and thank goodness for that because he found out what a horrible person she and her father were. Her father was trying to singlehandedly bring Matt down! In the midst of all this darkness there was one source of light in Matt's life, Patience. I loved his pursuit of Patience, how determined he was to have her body and soul.
I also loved the bible verses at the beginning of each chapter from Song of Solomon. One of them I actually used on my wedding invitations 12 years ago; in Chapter 22 I have found the one whom my soul loves... Song of Solomon 3:4. And another one I love, which I happened to write inside a card for my husband on our anniversary, in Chapter 23 I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine... Song of Solomon 6:3. These verses were very fitting in this book, Patience and her sisters were daughters of a Vicar and they often spoke of the bible.
What I could not understand...
When I read a book I like to imagine myself the heroine in the story. I try to really invest myself into the characters... imagine the sights, the smells, the sounds... I succeed most of the time in relating to the characters, but this time I had a really hard time in doing so. This book has a very strong Dom/Sub theme. Matt is extremely dominant and wishes for Patience to submit to him, over and over again. He wants her to do exactly as he tells her to do and if she disobeys him, he punishes her! Literally, he punishes with spankings! He also punishes her by bringing her just to the brink of release and then leaves her...
There was one scene where I felt like she needed a good spanking, she was kinda pitching a fit, but other than that one I thought the spankings were weird and cruel and unnecessary. Keep in mind that these are my own personal preferences and opinions. I am not into pain given to me from the hand that loves me, I just don't understand it. But some people do like it and I won't judge them for it.
There was also a time when Matt was punishing Patience by holding out her release and then finally "allowed" her to hump his leg, it was very degrading I thought and cruel and uncomfortable to read.
Lastly the thing that bothered me about this story is that I had a really hard time feeling the connection between Matt and Patience. I felt it more from Matt, but I had a hard time feeling what Patience truly felt.
Overall I did not love this book, but I loved seeing Mark and Passion again, getting to know Mickey Wilkes a little better, and I found Fitz Roy very intriguing and cannot wait to read his book! Lisa Valdez is a phenomenal writer... she wrote an amazing love story with sizzling love scenes in Passion, in Patience she missed the mark with me but that's ok... I still look forward to her other books, the next one being about the third sister Primrose.
Warning: contains explicit language and major Dom/Sub theme!!
What I loved...
Matt was immediately attracted to Patience when they first met in Passion and he was very intrigued by her. If you read Passion then you know that at the time he was engaged to another woman.
I thought the storyline was unique... Matt's illegitimacy was revealed and he was facing utter ruination, everything he had achieved in his lifetime was falling apart. His engagement to Rosalind had been broken, and thank goodness for that because he found out what a horrible person she and her father were. Her father was trying to singlehandedly bring Matt down! In the midst of all this darkness there was one source of light in Matt's life, Patience. I loved his pursuit of Patience, how determined he was to have her body and soul.
I also loved the bible verses at the beginning of each chapter from Song of Solomon. One of them I actually used on my wedding invitations 12 years ago; in Chapter 22 I have found the one whom my soul loves... Song of Solomon 3:4. And another one I love, which I happened to write inside a card for my husband on our anniversary, in Chapter 23 I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine... Song of Solomon 6:3. These verses were very fitting in this book, Patience and her sisters were daughters of a Vicar and they often spoke of the bible.
What I could not understand...
When I read a book I like to imagine myself the heroine in the story. I try to really invest myself into the characters... imagine the sights, the smells, the sounds... I succeed most of the time in relating to the characters, but this time I had a really hard time in doing so. This book has a very strong Dom/Sub theme. Matt is extremely dominant and wishes for Patience to submit to him, over and over again. He wants her to do exactly as he tells her to do and if she disobeys him, he punishes her! Literally, he punishes with spankings! He also punishes her by bringing her just to the brink of release and then leaves her...
There was one scene where I felt like she needed a good spanking, she was kinda pitching a fit, but other than that one I thought the spankings were weird and cruel and unnecessary. Keep in mind that these are my own personal preferences and opinions. I am not into pain given to me from the hand that loves me, I just don't understand it. But some people do like it and I won't judge them for it.
There was also a time when Matt was punishing Patience by holding out her release and then finally "allowed" her to hump his leg, it was very degrading I thought and cruel and uncomfortable to read.
Lastly the thing that bothered me about this story is that I had a really hard time feeling the connection between Matt and Patience. I felt it more from Matt, but I had a hard time feeling what Patience truly felt.
Overall I did not love this book, but I loved seeing Mark and Passion again, getting to know Mickey Wilkes a little better, and I found Fitz Roy very intriguing and cannot wait to read his book! Lisa Valdez is a phenomenal writer... she wrote an amazing love story with sizzling love scenes in Passion, in Patience she missed the mark with me but that's ok... I still look forward to her other books, the next one being about the third sister Primrose.
Warning: contains explicit language and major Dom/Sub theme!!
April 15, 2010
2.5 stars
I really wanted to love this book. After enjoying the first book immensely, I was sure that I would love this book the same. I mean how much can an author’s style change right?
Patience is a story of two wounded people who need some serious healing. Young, beautiful and talented, Patience Emmalina Dare (I really hate their names) refuses to follow the rules of society. Refusing suitors who fails to capture her attention, Patience hides behind her beloved cello, burying emotions that she thought were long gone. That is until one kiss from Matthew leaves her wanting more.
Matthew Morgan Hawthorne is a scorned man. Fueled with anger and a need for revenge after the secret of his illegitimate birth is publicized in front of all society, he pushes everyone away. At least the only person he can’t seem to push away is Patience. Enthralled by her beauty and her desires to “submit”, Matthew takes up convincing Patience that they belong together.
The characters were not likeable, IMO. I thought Matthew took out some of his emotions and baggage out on Patience. Since he had little control in his life, I thought he was trying too hard to control her. The first half of the book (and probably a bit more) focused on him teaching her how to submit, pushing her (and me) to the limits. At first I was okay with this because there was discussion with Mark about his sexual taste and he even explained how he found out he likes to be dominant and like fellatio. Then, he insisted upon spanking her repeatedly until her bottom was sore. So once that little encounter occurred, she made scones for him, and you know what my boy did? Yup you guessed it. He starts to spank her again even though he knows she is sore. I started to think he had a problem with his hands. He was constantly spanking or hitting her nipples (b/c oh yeah, they are thick and distended). I was like stop it! I wished she would have thrown a scone at his head.
Another problem I had was the references to the bible and scriptures. I normally would not have care but it annoyed me that Patience was quoting scriptures to someone and then rushing off to practice her fellatio skills on Matthew. Then there was a scene where he was going on and on about Adam and Eve while they were in the middle of a sexual act. That really bothered me.
Now I love me some sex but when the sexual acts take over the romantic ones I have a huge problem. There was no emotional connection until the end. Around page 300, the characters started to communicate verbally and their love became evident. I have too many books to read to wait until page 300 to the connection I want in any book. Despite that the last 60 pages were good. I quickly read them, wishing that the whole book would have been like this since the first have was boring.
Some of the things that I enjoyed about this book were that there were brief glimpses of Mark and Passion. I love Aunt Matty. She definitely makes me laugh. I was interested in Fitz Roy. I was so glad that Benchley got what he deserved.
I look forward to reading the next book. I just hope that Lisa Valdez comes back strong, like she did in the first book. I would recommend this book for readers who want to satisfy their curiosity.
I really wanted to love this book. After enjoying the first book immensely, I was sure that I would love this book the same. I mean how much can an author’s style change right?
Patience is a story of two wounded people who need some serious healing. Young, beautiful and talented, Patience Emmalina Dare (I really hate their names) refuses to follow the rules of society. Refusing suitors who fails to capture her attention, Patience hides behind her beloved cello, burying emotions that she thought were long gone. That is until one kiss from Matthew leaves her wanting more.
Matthew Morgan Hawthorne is a scorned man. Fueled with anger and a need for revenge after the secret of his illegitimate birth is publicized in front of all society, he pushes everyone away. At least the only person he can’t seem to push away is Patience. Enthralled by her beauty and her desires to “submit”, Matthew takes up convincing Patience that they belong together.
The characters were not likeable, IMO. I thought Matthew took out some of his emotions and baggage out on Patience. Since he had little control in his life, I thought he was trying too hard to control her. The first half of the book (and probably a bit more) focused on him teaching her how to submit, pushing her (and me) to the limits. At first I was okay with this because there was discussion with Mark about his sexual taste and he even explained how he found out he likes to be dominant and like fellatio. Then, he insisted upon spanking her repeatedly until her bottom was sore. So once that little encounter occurred, she made scones for him, and you know what my boy did? Yup you guessed it. He starts to spank her again even though he knows she is sore. I started to think he had a problem with his hands. He was constantly spanking or hitting her nipples (b/c oh yeah, they are thick and distended). I was like stop it! I wished she would have thrown a scone at his head.
Another problem I had was the references to the bible and scriptures. I normally would not have care but it annoyed me that Patience was quoting scriptures to someone and then rushing off to practice her fellatio skills on Matthew. Then there was a scene where he was going on and on about Adam and Eve while they were in the middle of a sexual act. That really bothered me.
Now I love me some sex but when the sexual acts take over the romantic ones I have a huge problem. There was no emotional connection until the end. Around page 300, the characters started to communicate verbally and their love became evident. I have too many books to read to wait until page 300 to the connection I want in any book. Despite that the last 60 pages were good. I quickly read them, wishing that the whole book would have been like this since the first have was boring.
Some of the things that I enjoyed about this book were that there were brief glimpses of Mark and Passion. I love Aunt Matty. She definitely makes me laugh. I was interested in Fitz Roy. I was so glad that Benchley got what he deserved.
I look forward to reading the next book. I just hope that Lisa Valdez comes back strong, like she did in the first book. I would recommend this book for readers who want to satisfy their curiosity.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2010
I wanted to love this really really wanted to. I thought Matthew was so sweet and brotherly in Passions.
I was prepared for him to be broken and lost from his ex fiances casting off and his newly found bastardness. I was not at all prepared for his bedroom activities.
I am not a fan of BSDM and while I tried not to let this effect my reading and rating it has.
I felt almost like I was reading two different books. Nothing flowed for me. I just couldn't shake off the sex scenes and it effected my enjoyment in what I thought was a fairly good historical romance plot.
I realize she is suppose to be submissive in the bedroom and that is what Matthew wants but for me she was a very weak heroine.
I would love to see what the story would have been like without the whole Dom/Sub thing.
Even the sweetness of Matthew and Patience HEA was tainted for me I just felt confused and totally unsatisfied.
What will become of Prim?
I was prepared for him to be broken and lost from his ex fiances casting off and his newly found bastardness. I was not at all prepared for his bedroom activities.
I am not a fan of BSDM and while I tried not to let this effect my reading and rating it has.
I felt almost like I was reading two different books. Nothing flowed for me. I just couldn't shake off the sex scenes and it effected my enjoyment in what I thought was a fairly good historical romance plot.
I realize she is suppose to be submissive in the bedroom and that is what Matthew wants but for me she was a very weak heroine.
I would love to see what the story would have been like without the whole Dom/Sub thing.
Even the sweetness of Matthew and Patience HEA was tainted for me I just felt confused and totally unsatisfied.
What will become of Prim?
April 18, 2010
I toyed with not even acknowledging that I read this book so annoyed by it that I was. But I am finishing a 144 books for the year challenge, so I am including it.
I read Valdez's previous book Passion. And while I thought the sex scenes were badly (and often hilariously) written, I thought the story was great. I thought Passion and Mark's love for each other and their longing to be together was a nice counterweight to the execrable sex scenes. So it made that book, if not a hit out the ball park, at least a somewhat affecting romance novel.
Patience doesn't even have that going for it. The 'romance' between Matthew and Patience is paper thin. There is no tension in their relationship. There is no real obstacle or anything else that gives their romance any weight or heft. There is a largely convoluted plot about Matthew's ex-fiancee's father trying to ruin him. But this has no bearing on him pursuing a relationship with Passion. Take away the sex scenes (again, horribly written) and what do you have left? Nothing of any substance really.
Which brings me to the sex scenes. There are a lot of them and they are light BDSM. If I had a preference of what types of sex scenes to read BDSM scenes would be at the rock bottom. That said, I read some BDSM erotica where the scenes of submission weren't quite so.... degrading. It just strikes the wrong tone with me that in one memorable 'love' scene Matt should bring Patience to the point of climax over and over again but not let her get any relief. Until finally, after much torture, he condescendingly allows her to hump his boot (and she jumps at the choice which much joy while her clitoris ruptures). Seriously.
And even worse it is all couched in terms of religion. Each chapter is prefaced with a Song of Solomon quote. Matt tells Patience she is being remade into Eve, a woman who was created solely for the pleasure of her master, Adam (any guesses on who Adam is in this scenario? Anyone? Bueller?). And Valdez isn't picky about which religion she's using, sometimes Patience is Eve, sometimes she Persephone. And sometimes she's both even in the same sentence.
And it is made clear that his dick is some sort of holy object (or rather 'Organ of Dominon') that she is lucky to get communion from. Yes, fellating him is a form of taking communion, it is right there on the page. I have no words...
And the prose was so purple I kept expecting Prince to jump out and start serenading me as I was reading.
I'd give this negative stars if I could.
I read Valdez's previous book Passion. And while I thought the sex scenes were badly (and often hilariously) written, I thought the story was great. I thought Passion and Mark's love for each other and their longing to be together was a nice counterweight to the execrable sex scenes. So it made that book, if not a hit out the ball park, at least a somewhat affecting romance novel.
Patience doesn't even have that going for it. The 'romance' between Matthew and Patience is paper thin. There is no tension in their relationship. There is no real obstacle or anything else that gives their romance any weight or heft. There is a largely convoluted plot about Matthew's ex-fiancee's father trying to ruin him. But this has no bearing on him pursuing a relationship with Passion. Take away the sex scenes (again, horribly written) and what do you have left? Nothing of any substance really.
Which brings me to the sex scenes. There are a lot of them and they are light BDSM. If I had a preference of what types of sex scenes to read BDSM scenes would be at the rock bottom. That said, I read some BDSM erotica where the scenes of submission weren't quite so.... degrading. It just strikes the wrong tone with me that in one memorable 'love' scene Matt should bring Patience to the point of climax over and over again but not let her get any relief. Until finally, after much torture, he condescendingly allows her to hump his boot (and she jumps at the choice which much joy while her clitoris ruptures). Seriously.
And even worse it is all couched in terms of religion. Each chapter is prefaced with a Song of Solomon quote. Matt tells Patience she is being remade into Eve, a woman who was created solely for the pleasure of her master, Adam (any guesses on who Adam is in this scenario? Anyone? Bueller?). And Valdez isn't picky about which religion she's using, sometimes Patience is Eve, sometimes she Persephone. And sometimes she's both even in the same sentence.
And it is made clear that his dick is some sort of holy object (or rather 'Organ of Dominon') that she is lucky to get communion from. Yes, fellating him is a form of taking communion, it is right there on the page. I have no words...
And the prose was so purple I kept expecting Prince to jump out and start serenading me as I was reading.
I'd give this negative stars if I could.
May 23, 2019
Me reading Patience:
Me finishing Patience, realizing I may be 50 before Primrose is published:
I was not expecting to get hooked, but I guess that’s the way with firsts. Patience is an erotic historical about a dom and a sub. My reading experience with erotic work is limited to Anais Nin, Story of O and (lol) Anne Rice, so I don't know how original or authentic Valdez is about the subject matter. However, I did like the connection she made between the religious and erotic. Valdez begins each chapter with epigraphs from Song of Solomon that is about finding salvation and self-liberation through obedience to the beloved that thematically echoes Matthew’s dialogues about the workings of a dom-sub relationship in a thoughtful manner.
What I love about Valdez’s Passion Quartet is that both books in the series are solid plots with wonderfully sensational elements. In Passion, Mark is being blackmailed into marriage, but it’s also a story about afternoon delights at the Crystal Palace and Mark’s huge … anyways. In Patience, Mark’s half-brother, Matthew, is out for revenge, but it’s also about dom and sub.
I particularly enjoyed Patience over Passion for several reasons. One of them being, Matthew seems to really love Patience. Yet if the Q&A on Valdez's website is anything to go by, that is a point up in the air: It was clear that Mark loved Passion. Why didn't you write Matthew and Patience's story with that same degree of love and romance? Why did Matthew have such a great need to make Patience cry? You need pain to open up emotion? If that is the case, why couldn't Matthew be "opened up to his emotions"? Okay, but why do you have to be submissive to express yourself? Valdez explores in Patience different paths to freedom and fulfillment, but if you are not comfortable or very perplexed by dom sub dynamics then read the Q&A. Or simply read Passion because come on. Passion is a sacrificial doormat that Mark loves because she is always there for him. Meanwhile, Matthew sacrifices everything to serve Patience. Also, while Passion is also an erotic historical, I did think it was cheesy, but Patience? Always spicy!!
Overall, a recommended read that has me thinking I can't wait to try more adventurous tales in the HR world!
Me finishing Patience, realizing I may be 50 before Primrose is published:
I was not expecting to get hooked, but I guess that’s the way with firsts. Patience is an erotic historical about a dom and a sub. My reading experience with erotic work is limited to Anais Nin, Story of O and (lol) Anne Rice, so I don't know how original or authentic Valdez is about the subject matter. However, I did like the connection she made between the religious and erotic. Valdez begins each chapter with epigraphs from Song of Solomon that is about finding salvation and self-liberation through obedience to the beloved that thematically echoes Matthew’s dialogues about the workings of a dom-sub relationship in a thoughtful manner.
What I love about Valdez’s Passion Quartet is that both books in the series are solid plots with wonderfully sensational elements. In Passion, Mark is being blackmailed into marriage, but it’s also a story about afternoon delights at the Crystal Palace and Mark’s huge … anyways. In Patience, Mark’s half-brother, Matthew, is out for revenge, but it’s also about dom and sub.
I particularly enjoyed Patience over Passion for several reasons. One of them being, Matthew seems to really love Patience. Yet if the Q&A on Valdez's website is anything to go by, that is a point up in the air: It was clear that Mark loved Passion. Why didn't you write Matthew and Patience's story with that same degree of love and romance? Why did Matthew have such a great need to make Patience cry? You need pain to open up emotion? If that is the case, why couldn't Matthew be "opened up to his emotions"? Okay, but why do you have to be submissive to express yourself? Valdez explores in Patience different paths to freedom and fulfillment, but if you are not comfortable or very perplexed by dom sub dynamics then read the Q&A. Or simply read Passion because come on. Passion is a sacrificial doormat that Mark loves because she is always there for him. Meanwhile, Matthew sacrifices everything to serve Patience. Also, while Passion is also an erotic historical, I did think it was cheesy, but Patience? Always spicy!!
Overall, a recommended read that has me thinking I can't wait to try more adventurous tales in the HR world!
September 6, 2017
sevdiğim bir tarz. ancak tarihi kurgu bakımından bence diğer kitaplara göre vasat. çünkü içinde bildiğiniz grey çakması var.
July 26, 2010
This is a book most people will either love or hate. I'm probably one of the few who falls somewhere in between. If you like the Pain/Pleasure aspect of a relationship you'll probably like this book, but if you don't you probably won't like it. Lisa uses words like C@nt and F@ck quite frequently so if you like authors who use flowery terms and dance around other words you may not like this book. Matthew is a domineering and controlling sort when it comes to the bedroom scenes. I almost feel the book should have been called Training for Patience. I liked the look into the mindset of both Matthew and Patience and seeing the dynamics of how their relationship worked, but I have to admit I'm not a pain/pleasure type of gal and I like the flowery dance around the terms (I attribute the latter to my mom and the times my mouth was washed out with soap).I should also note this book doesn't go beyond the spanking and biting aspects of the pain/pleasure relationship. This book is 90 percent relationship and 10 percent background story. My general rule of thumb when rating a book is if I don't like the wording (in this case the use of certain words) or the type of relationship(in this case the pain/pleasure) I'll knock it down by a star. Since this one was so much about the relationship, however, I could only rate it a 2. The writing is good and Lisa can get very creative with her love scene. I'm sorry I went to such lengths with this review, but I feel this book is really customized to a certain kind of individual and hopefully this will give the reader of this review enough information to decide it this is the right book for them.
April 6, 2018
lol just finished this hella cheesy, super kinky erotica and it was aight! Not super special, but not bad either. There were parts I liked and parts that were just... okay i guess
im just glad the author didn't bring back the secret vagina pocket cervix that had me
refer to my review for Passion for context. I'm very happy she seemed to have taken up reading about the female anatomy
bravo!
or maybe she realized her secret magic vagina pocket didn't exist either and decided it was too far fetched. Either way, celebrating this educational progress! Yay for sex ed!
The sex was better in this book, even with the bdsm, which does NOT turn me on, but their chemistry was very palpable and that was a nice change from the first book where the chemistry was not as strong, but still there! I have more to say that I'll post later but this is my review for now
Honestly, I'm more looking forward to the next book, I think Fitz Roy will be paired with Primrose? I hope so because I like both of their characters. But lmao i doubt the book will come out soon. It looks like fans have been waiting for the next novel for the PAST 8 YEARS!!!! WTF??? GIRL this isn't fucking Lord of the Rings, it's historical erotica lmao why is it taking 8 freaking years to write the next book?????
im just glad the author didn't bring back the secret vagina pocket cervix that had me
refer to my review for Passion for context. I'm very happy she seemed to have taken up reading about the female anatomy
bravo!
or maybe she realized her secret magic vagina pocket didn't exist either and decided it was too far fetched. Either way, celebrating this educational progress! Yay for sex ed!
The sex was better in this book, even with the bdsm, which does NOT turn me on, but their chemistry was very palpable and that was a nice change from the first book where the chemistry was not as strong, but still there! I have more to say that I'll post later but this is my review for now
Honestly, I'm more looking forward to the next book, I think Fitz Roy will be paired with Primrose? I hope so because I like both of their characters. But lmao i doubt the book will come out soon. It looks like fans have been waiting for the next novel for the PAST 8 YEARS!!!! WTF??? GIRL this isn't fucking Lord of the Rings, it's historical erotica lmao why is it taking 8 freaking years to write the next book?????
November 7, 2015
3.5 stars
February 9, 2017
PATIENCE is the story of two strong-willed, independent creatures that have each been betrayed by those whom they trustingly gave their hearts only to be found lacking. Now, having brutally learned their lesson, neither is interested in repeating their previous pain but thankfully there's an undeniable pull that draws these two fated beings together. And once in each others arms, their well fortified walls begin crumble as if so much dust.
An incomparable beauty, Patience Emmalina Dare is coveted by all the male members of the ton. As they preen, peck and squawk their candidacy as potential suitors, they know not that their efforts fall upon deaf ears for Patience has no desire to belong to any man. Instead, her heart - her everything - belongs to her cello and the music she persuades from its strings for you see, her instrument could never forsake her, can never ever leave her thus providing the perfect guard against any who contrive to poach upon her love. However, despite Patience's instrumental guard, she also recognizes a deep-seeded yearning for one man that has the very real potential to obliterate all that she is but the secrets he dangles before her are utter temptation and they have her leaping for a glimpse of the freedom he offers.
Matthew Morgan Hawkmore, formally the second son of an earl but now a known bastard and recent social pariah of the ton, is grasping with white knuckles to the remaining pieces of his former life that he can still call his own. But there are those that would glory at seeing his financial demise and none is more hungry for that than Archibald Benchley - the Earl of Benchley and Matthew's would be father-in-law if news of his bastard birth had never made light. Accused of withholding his bastardy from "good society", Matthew has been snubbed by those he had once called friends and now to have his name and his honor slandered atop of the fierce financial crush that Benchley has heaped upon him, the desire for revenge has him swirling in an all encompassing darkness of anger and hatred. There is only one light capable of piercing through the black that is now Matthew's tarnished soul and that is Patience. Her goodness and her light calls to him, beckoning with sensual promise as well as soothing acceptance.
It's really no surprise that from an early age, Matthew recognized and cultivated a burning need and desire to sexually dominate. With evidence of his already controlling nature, his role as a sexual dominant is no coincidence for he's a man that inherently seeks control - needs control - and in his current uncontrollable and crumbling world this unequivocal need to dominate gravitates him on a very primal level towards Patience. As if viewing a mirror image of himself, Matthew recognizes a deep-seeded and complicated pain within her and his reaction to it is fierce. Ultimately, Matthew desperately craves Patience's absolute surrender; to strip her of all her fortified walls, crumble her resistance, and tear asunder the pain that has burdened her so greatly. Perhaps by unleashing and healing Patience, Matthew can heal his own dark pain and the only way he knows how to do this is by requiring her complete and utter submission.
Patience, nervous and unsure of the submission Matthew is demanding, follows him with a tentative trust. No man has ever demanded anything of her and while she should be affronted by his commands, instead Matthew brings to light a curious feeling that she's never before felt; one that awakens a previously dormant and unknown faucet of her nature that ultimately causes her to grasp hold of it with desperate hands and an aching heart. Soon, Patience finds solace in her submissive bonds. She no longer has to control her thoughts or maintain her strict independence for in truth they're not her nature. She was meant to be a nurturer, a calm example but instead she became closed off, seemingly un-needing of anyone but her cello. For years Patience has unknowingly forced herself into something she's not and with Matthew's help she's released from these constricting bonds of her own making and instead basks in the silken bonds of his dominance.
However, while Patience unveils hidden aspects of her personality, hauntingly painful moments in her past, as well as gifted Matthew with her complete trust, he's hidden a plan from her that could potentially tear apart their burgeoning relationship. His revenge scheme for his enemy, Archibald Bentley, has escalated to such a high degree that Matthew recognizes no moral bounds. It's kill or be killed in his mind and he has every intention of beating Benchley to the punch despite the fact that his conscience is saying he's wrong. There's strong evidence of this because Matthew does his absolute best to make sure that Patience is kept completely in the dark from his nefarious plotting. She is everything that is good and beautiful in his world and to make his plans known to her would only spell his doom. Instead, Matthew is so twisted with anger and hatred that he becomes nearly blinded by the revenge he seeks rather than the cling to the love he's already been given by the woman that longs to lighten his world.
My Thoughts:
Truly, what I think surprised me the most about PATIENCE, and it's not the unbelievable depths that Valdez explored with the D/s relationship between Matthew and Patience, but the fact that it didn't resemble PASSION in any way. Instead, the novel is compellingly unique and held its own superbly against its famous predecessor. That accomplishment in and of itself is rare and quite splendid. Bravo Ms. Valdez!
That being said, I must admit that I'm shocked at the negative reviews this novel has received. This was a daring work of art that was, for me at least, incredibly moving and beautiful to experience. Every moment meant something and I basked in the depth that Valdez took her characters as each and every barrier is sensually stripped to reveal the true Matthew and Patience. Even more shocking was that people were perplexed that Matthew discerns Patience's submissiveness seemingly "out of the blue". I disagree. There were plenty examples of Patience's unknown desire to submit. It was in her voice, her words, her false independence, and most importantly it was her reaction to Matthew. Extending beyond that, the relationship was explored slowly with Matthew giving Patience every chance to leave. How else could she have known of this desire? It's not like she knew the lifestyle existed. What did readers expect Matthew to do, ask her directly about a subject she knows nothing about? Have a discussion over tea? He's a sexual dominant who knows that he must dominate. He's been practicing for years thus helping him to recognize Patience's hidden nature.
The negativity, in my opinion, stems mostly from a simple dislike of D/s. I believe that you must have at least an appreciation for the Dominant/submissive dynamic in order to fully enjoy a novel of this nature. If this is not something you enjoy or desire to read, then you're only going to see it as derogatory and your inner feminist will rear its head and scream foul. The relationship that Valdez has written is fluent with the D/s stories that I've read and loved from the masters and to read it in a historical setting by such a passionate author was an absolute dream and one I will not be forgetting soon.
I've also had a friend email me saying that she didn't see the romance at all in PATIENCE and again, I'm shocked. For me, every word spoken, every touch bestowed, taken and demanded was romance. This is a novel that focuses nearly completely on the hero, heroine and their struggle. Its dissected and explored with graphic but sensual sex scenes that will most definitely leave you breathless if not squirming in your seat. From beginning to end, PATIENCE is romance, one that I will most certainly be returning to for seconds, thirds and more.
If you love intense romance with graphic sex, x-rated language, an uber alpha hero who also happens to be a sexual dominant, and a complex heroine who lives and breathes to submit to her hero, than PATIENCE is the historical romance for you.
An incomparable beauty, Patience Emmalina Dare is coveted by all the male members of the ton. As they preen, peck and squawk their candidacy as potential suitors, they know not that their efforts fall upon deaf ears for Patience has no desire to belong to any man. Instead, her heart - her everything - belongs to her cello and the music she persuades from its strings for you see, her instrument could never forsake her, can never ever leave her thus providing the perfect guard against any who contrive to poach upon her love. However, despite Patience's instrumental guard, she also recognizes a deep-seeded yearning for one man that has the very real potential to obliterate all that she is but the secrets he dangles before her are utter temptation and they have her leaping for a glimpse of the freedom he offers.
Matthew Morgan Hawkmore, formally the second son of an earl but now a known bastard and recent social pariah of the ton, is grasping with white knuckles to the remaining pieces of his former life that he can still call his own. But there are those that would glory at seeing his financial demise and none is more hungry for that than Archibald Benchley - the Earl of Benchley and Matthew's would be father-in-law if news of his bastard birth had never made light. Accused of withholding his bastardy from "good society", Matthew has been snubbed by those he had once called friends and now to have his name and his honor slandered atop of the fierce financial crush that Benchley has heaped upon him, the desire for revenge has him swirling in an all encompassing darkness of anger and hatred. There is only one light capable of piercing through the black that is now Matthew's tarnished soul and that is Patience. Her goodness and her light calls to him, beckoning with sensual promise as well as soothing acceptance.
It's really no surprise that from an early age, Matthew recognized and cultivated a burning need and desire to sexually dominate. With evidence of his already controlling nature, his role as a sexual dominant is no coincidence for he's a man that inherently seeks control - needs control - and in his current uncontrollable and crumbling world this unequivocal need to dominate gravitates him on a very primal level towards Patience. As if viewing a mirror image of himself, Matthew recognizes a deep-seeded and complicated pain within her and his reaction to it is fierce. Ultimately, Matthew desperately craves Patience's absolute surrender; to strip her of all her fortified walls, crumble her resistance, and tear asunder the pain that has burdened her so greatly. Perhaps by unleashing and healing Patience, Matthew can heal his own dark pain and the only way he knows how to do this is by requiring her complete and utter submission.
Patience, nervous and unsure of the submission Matthew is demanding, follows him with a tentative trust. No man has ever demanded anything of her and while she should be affronted by his commands, instead Matthew brings to light a curious feeling that she's never before felt; one that awakens a previously dormant and unknown faucet of her nature that ultimately causes her to grasp hold of it with desperate hands and an aching heart. Soon, Patience finds solace in her submissive bonds. She no longer has to control her thoughts or maintain her strict independence for in truth they're not her nature. She was meant to be a nurturer, a calm example but instead she became closed off, seemingly un-needing of anyone but her cello. For years Patience has unknowingly forced herself into something she's not and with Matthew's help she's released from these constricting bonds of her own making and instead basks in the silken bonds of his dominance.
However, while Patience unveils hidden aspects of her personality, hauntingly painful moments in her past, as well as gifted Matthew with her complete trust, he's hidden a plan from her that could potentially tear apart their burgeoning relationship. His revenge scheme for his enemy, Archibald Bentley, has escalated to such a high degree that Matthew recognizes no moral bounds. It's kill or be killed in his mind and he has every intention of beating Benchley to the punch despite the fact that his conscience is saying he's wrong. There's strong evidence of this because Matthew does his absolute best to make sure that Patience is kept completely in the dark from his nefarious plotting. She is everything that is good and beautiful in his world and to make his plans known to her would only spell his doom. Instead, Matthew is so twisted with anger and hatred that he becomes nearly blinded by the revenge he seeks rather than the cling to the love he's already been given by the woman that longs to lighten his world.
My Thoughts:
Truly, what I think surprised me the most about PATIENCE, and it's not the unbelievable depths that Valdez explored with the D/s relationship between Matthew and Patience, but the fact that it didn't resemble PASSION in any way. Instead, the novel is compellingly unique and held its own superbly against its famous predecessor. That accomplishment in and of itself is rare and quite splendid. Bravo Ms. Valdez!
That being said, I must admit that I'm shocked at the negative reviews this novel has received. This was a daring work of art that was, for me at least, incredibly moving and beautiful to experience. Every moment meant something and I basked in the depth that Valdez took her characters as each and every barrier is sensually stripped to reveal the true Matthew and Patience. Even more shocking was that people were perplexed that Matthew discerns Patience's submissiveness seemingly "out of the blue". I disagree. There were plenty examples of Patience's unknown desire to submit. It was in her voice, her words, her false independence, and most importantly it was her reaction to Matthew. Extending beyond that, the relationship was explored slowly with Matthew giving Patience every chance to leave. How else could she have known of this desire? It's not like she knew the lifestyle existed. What did readers expect Matthew to do, ask her directly about a subject she knows nothing about? Have a discussion over tea? He's a sexual dominant who knows that he must dominate. He's been practicing for years thus helping him to recognize Patience's hidden nature.
The negativity, in my opinion, stems mostly from a simple dislike of D/s. I believe that you must have at least an appreciation for the Dominant/submissive dynamic in order to fully enjoy a novel of this nature. If this is not something you enjoy or desire to read, then you're only going to see it as derogatory and your inner feminist will rear its head and scream foul. The relationship that Valdez has written is fluent with the D/s stories that I've read and loved from the masters and to read it in a historical setting by such a passionate author was an absolute dream and one I will not be forgetting soon.
I've also had a friend email me saying that she didn't see the romance at all in PATIENCE and again, I'm shocked. For me, every word spoken, every touch bestowed, taken and demanded was romance. This is a novel that focuses nearly completely on the hero, heroine and their struggle. Its dissected and explored with graphic but sensual sex scenes that will most definitely leave you breathless if not squirming in your seat. From beginning to end, PATIENCE is romance, one that I will most certainly be returning to for seconds, thirds and more.
If you love intense romance with graphic sex, x-rated language, an uber alpha hero who also happens to be a sexual dominant, and a complex heroine who lives and breathes to submit to her hero, than PATIENCE is the historical romance for you.
December 19, 2021
Bu nedir ya, tarihi aşk romanı değil de tarihi erotik roman denilmeliydi. Daha ilk 50 sayfadan başladılar yakınlaşmaya ortada ne zeki diyaloglar, ne drama/romance var. Üstelik Matt beyimiz aşırı kaba saba ve otoriter ama ne hikmetse tüm kadınlar peşinde. Yazarın yazım dili de çok kötü. Olay geçişleri sıfır. Bir sonraki paragrafta başka bir şey oluyor vs. Sevişme sahneleri aşırı detaylı onun dışındaki sahnelere 2 3 sayfa vermiş, olaylar geçiştirilir gibi anlatılmış. Hayal kırıklığı oldu benim için.
May 16, 2022
After many tries, I could finally say that historical erotica isn't for me.
July 25, 2016
I'm not an expert on the BDSM genre at all, never read 50 shades or anything like it. I'm simply not into this whole dominant/submissive stuff at all. The difficulty I have with it in novels I read and which delved deeper into it, is that I'm never quite sure if the participants are truly equal or not. It's probably a hard thing to pull off for an author.
Whatever floats your boat, I guess. However, what really put me off is that at no stage of their relationship did I have the feeling that Patience and Matthew were equals, and by the end of the book I saw Patience as Matthew's plaything, his sex slave, outside the bedroom too. Nor did I see true love between them. Matthew had to have Patience and had no problems to manipulate and lie almost throughout the book to get her under his thumb. Matthew is a proper wanker, a total control freak. And don't get me started on Patience. I haven't come across a weaker heroine in ages. There was one scene in particular that made me almost gag. It's when Matthew explains to Patience, via the Bible no less, why a woman should accept to submit, on the grounds that even Eve submitted to Adam. By that definition, all women should submit to their husbands wishes.
The sex scenes were okay-ish, up until the spanking came up and all I could think was 'Ouch, ouch, ouch, no, no, ouch, ouch!' Although, I couldn't stop laughing and rolling my eyes, when Matthew, all politeness, lets Patience hump his booted leg so she could finally reach her orgasm. Seriously?
Whatever floats your boat, I guess. However, what really put me off is that at no stage of their relationship did I have the feeling that Patience and Matthew were equals, and by the end of the book I saw Patience as Matthew's plaything, his sex slave, outside the bedroom too. Nor did I see true love between them. Matthew had to have Patience and had no problems to manipulate and lie almost throughout the book to get her under his thumb. Matthew is a proper wanker, a total control freak. And don't get me started on Patience. I haven't come across a weaker heroine in ages. There was one scene in particular that made me almost gag. It's when Matthew explains to Patience, via the Bible no less, why a woman should accept to submit, on the grounds that even Eve submitted to Adam. By that definition, all women should submit to their husbands wishes.
The sex scenes were okay-ish, up until the spanking came up and all I could think was 'Ouch, ouch, ouch, no, no, ouch, ouch!' Although, I couldn't stop laughing and rolling my eyes, when Matthew, all politeness, lets Patience hump his booted leg so she could finally reach her orgasm. Seriously?
August 5, 2016
Sorry to say I didn't love this one as I did the first book in this series. Again, I just am not into the bdsm but wanted to finally give this book a try.
It wasn't just that which made me not enjoy the story. If it is well done enough I would still enjoy the book. I honestly didn't care all that much for Patience. I can't put my finger on what I didn't like about her but I wasn't drawn to her character.
As to Matthew, I truly loved him in the first book and was sad to read how bitter and vengeful he became. I did like how he turned himself around for Patience and din't take his revenge to its full culmination. However, it wasn't enough to really win over this book for me.
I'm interested to see what direction she will take Prim's story.
ETA: The over use of the "c" word drove me absolutely out of my mind. I hate that word. It is derogatory and is not a good description of a woman's private area. Couldn't she use a different word? I cringed every time it was used in thought and in the spoken word. Hate it!
ETA again: Another thing I thought of after reading other reviews that reminded me; I thought Matthew was way too abusive with Patience. I want my heroes to be a little loving to the heroine and sometimes he was but the continued spanking and the brutal way of it really took away from that for me. It was too much.
It wasn't just that which made me not enjoy the story. If it is well done enough I would still enjoy the book. I honestly didn't care all that much for Patience. I can't put my finger on what I didn't like about her but I wasn't drawn to her character.
As to Matthew, I truly loved him in the first book and was sad to read how bitter and vengeful he became. I did like how he turned himself around for Patience and din't take his revenge to its full culmination. However, it wasn't enough to really win over this book for me.
I'm interested to see what direction she will take Prim's story.
ETA: The over use of the "c" word drove me absolutely out of my mind. I hate that word. It is derogatory and is not a good description of a woman's private area. Couldn't she use a different word? I cringed every time it was used in thought and in the spoken word. Hate it!
ETA again: Another thing I thought of after reading other reviews that reminded me; I thought Matthew was way too abusive with Patience. I want my heroes to be a little loving to the heroine and sometimes he was but the continued spanking and the brutal way of it really took away from that for me. It was too much.
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