Claiming the Courtesan in Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group

Sep 27, 2011 Zeek rated it did not like it

Shelves: dnf

I've had this one in my TBR pile and today decided it was time to clear it from list.

Honestly I tried it before and though I was extremely intrigued by the heroine, I quickly realized I was going to have invest a little more time in the hero than a cursory glance. SO I put the book down until that time.

I gave him more time today and unfortunately, he's still an asswipe- not a tool, not a douchebag an ass. wipe.

Dont get me wrong, you who have read a review or two by me before know that I am mor ...more

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Jul 14, 2010 Quinn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: library-book, regency-victorian-georgian, favourites, i-own, 5-stars

Claiming the Courtesan is one of those books that seems to polarize readers. I think there are a couple of obvious reasons for this:

1. Many readers do not like to read a courtesan/prostitute character as the heroine

2. This book does contain rape/forced seduction scenes

I can completely understand and respect the response of readers with these views and preferences. But Claiming the Courtesan was so much more.

It was beautifully written with an ease of style that had time losing meaning while the p ...more

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Oct 20, 2009 Elle rated it it was amazing

I LOVED this!!! I loved the characters the story is very one on one it's all about the two main characters they are literally hidden away almost completely alone for the majority of the book. Extremely well written each character is wonderfully developed not only do we read about there actions but what each think and why, we learn about there pasts and what drives them to be who they are. I love a happy ending, which this book did have, but some of the epilogues can be overly predictable (they g ...more

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Jan 11, 2010 Aimee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-romance, holy-hotness-hall-of-fame-hero

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. So, to start with, I am now an official card carrying member of the Krazy for Kylemore fan club. Thank you, Danielle, for recommending this one, I never doubt your taste in scrumptious heroes!

That said, I've been teetering between 4 and 5 stars for this one. Either rating says that this is a wonderful book. What's almost dragging it down for me is, though I liked Verity, I didn't seem to connect with her the was I think I was intended to. There were times during this book where I thought to myse ...more

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Nov 23, 2009 Cheryl rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-romance

This book was intense and wonderful! It was not an easy read. It messed with my emotions and I was even torn at moments as to whether I should like the hero or hate him. Feel free to read my review, although I am afraid it truly does not do this book justice.

The Duke of Kylemore wants to make his mistress his wife. Men have been known to fight duels over Soraya and three men have committed suicide because they could not have her as a mistress. Kylemore waited 5 years before she agreed to become This book was intense and wonderful! It was not an easy read. It messed with my emotions and I was even torn at moments as to whether I should like the hero or hate him. Feel free to read my review, although I am afraid it truly does not do this book justice.

The Duke of Kylemore wants to make his mistress his wife. Men have been known to fight duels over Soraya and three men have committed suicide because they could not have her as a mistress. Kylemore waited 5 years before she agreed to become his mistress.

It was a grueling 5 years for him and his passion for her grew even stronger for her in that time. He wanted no other woman from the time he first laid eyes on her and in my opinion he became obsessed with her. Soraya was then his mistress for one year, when he decided to make her his wife, and she would be his wife, he was a duke after all and no one would deny a duke anything. Only Soraya disappeared before he could make that happen.

Verity Ashton, otherwise known as Soraya the famous Courtesan, was finally free! She became a mistress at the age of 15 out of necessity to care for her younger brother and sister after their parents' deaths. Verity became Soraya and was very good at what she did and was paid very well. She saved as much money as she could while also providing for her siblings. She had a plan to one day be able to leave her life behind as Soraya and finally be a free woman again. That day had come at last, thanks to the money the Duke paid her to be his mistress, but she was leaving all that behind now. So she disappeared to begin her life again as Verity.

It took Kylemore three months to track her down and when he did he vowed never to allow her to leave again. She was the only one who had ever brought him any peace, the only one who could help keep his nightmares at bay, the only one who had given his life any happiness. Kylemore had a lot of baggage he carried around with him. His father was insane and would beat him when he was in one of his rages. His mother was just as crazy and mean! The more you learn about Kylemore the more you sympathize with him and drives him to do the things he does. Although that should not excuse his actions.

Once Kylemore found Soraya, he kidnapped her and made her his prisoner in a hunting lodge that belongs to his family in Scotland. It is in a very harsh environment which keeps her from escaping or from being found. As his prisoner, Kylemore demands that she belong to him, body and soul. Verity cannot keep him from claiming her body but she builds some very strong defenses against him to keep him from capturing her soul and her love. Only the more she learns about him and the things that torment his poor soul, the more she starts to fall in love with him and her defenses start to crumble.

There were parts of the book where I wanted to hate Kylemore, such as when he forced her to be with him physically. I cannot tolerate that and there is no excuse for any person that forces him/herself on another! But that being said, I can understand what drove him to do that. He was so tortured and lost and the only thing that kept him stable was Verity. She was the only one ever to give him peace in his soul, the only one who could make him feel anything at all.

So I ended up loving Kylemore and all of his flaws and so did Verity. And he fought hard to keep her and I respected him for that. I think that Verity and Kylemore had a lot of growing to do and I don't think their relationship was going to be an easy one. But they did end up being good for one another. And, just so you know, Kylemore did feel a lot of guilt and remorse for the things he forced upon Verity, but her love for him in the end helped him to work through those feelings.

I recommend this book to anyone who can enjoy a very well written book, but not to anyone who is especially sensitive to the subject of rape. Like I said before, it is not an easy read on your emotions, you will be angry, you will cry, but in the end you will have read an excellent book that is different from anything else that I have ever read and you will be so happy with the growth that the hero and heroine go through. ...more

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Jan 10, 2010 Yulia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, historical, courtesan

Although the plot is kind of typical - rejected man wants revenge - but I still like to read the same theme again and again (kill me, I like jealousy and posessiveness. I probably could read books with it for day and not get bored), anyways, the book was written well although I had to translate lots of words (the hazard of reading historical anything), and I'll probably never understand written english with a mix of Scotish.
And the love scenes were well written too. Usually I relate historical r ...more

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