Bound by Your Touch

Historical Romance for the educated woman. So well written and the historical aspects are right on. I enjoyed the characters and their development. I hope that her other books are as well done.

AMAZING! That's the word that came to my mind when I finished this book. I'm always a bit wary when I start reading a book that's been highly praised by "everyone", as sky-high expectations can turn an otherwise excellent read into a "somewhat disappointingly good" read, so I didn't know what to expect from Bound by Your Touch when I picked it up. Well, I'm glad to say that "everyone" was right and I'm joining the chorus. I loved everything about this book: James, Lydia, the secondary characters, the story... Lydia was the oldest daughter of Henry Boyce, an archaeologist who spent a great part of his life working in Egypt. A confirmed spinster at the advanced age of 26, Lydia was her father's business manager and took care of his trading affairs in London while he was away in Egypt. Raising funds to support her father's research was one of her responsabilities, so Lydia was more than annoyed when James barged into one of her fund-raising meetings with some important and rich men and interrupted her speech. James's sole goal in life was to annoy his father, the Earl of Moreland, any way he could and, unfortunately for Lydia, his father was one of the important and rich men in attendance to her meeting and James didn't care where or when he managed to achieve his goal. James and Lydia didn't exactly make sparks fly in that 1st meeting, but they were intrigued - or should I say, annoyed - enough to dedicate a thought or two to each other. A few days later, the possibility of her father being involved in trading forgeries and smuggling precious gems from Egypt led Lydia to seek James's cooperation and that was when the story really took off. I fell in love with Lydia right from the start. When I finished reading the Prologue, I was already rooting for her HEA. How could I care so much for her so soon? I can only "blame" Ms. Duran's writing skills for that. As I read the following chapters, I grew to love Lydia even more. On the surface, she seems to be all prim, proper and "good", but she nurtured a well-deserved dislike of her sister Sophie, who stole and married the man she loved. I liked the fact that Lydia wasn't "perfect". I mean, aren't we all tired of the saintly heroine who, despite everything and everyone, is always understanding and forgiving? That jealous sister of her betrayed her, and Lydia was more than welcome to harbor some resentment over it. Not that she was mean or anything, but she didn't regard her sister's betrayal as something "unimportant". As for James, I had a hard time with him at first. He was handsome and charming, but his self-destructive behavior was, like Lydia stated at one point, childish. He was constantly drunk - or trying to get drunk - and his life was dedicated to embarass and cause pain to his father, there was no other purpose in it. He had "everything" but did nothing useful with it. Or so it seemed. Slowly but gradually, I got to know what drove him and, even though I couldn't fully support the way he cho

With a command of language that is rich and smart, Meredith Duran has produced a sophomore book that is beautiful, witty and insightful. Lydia Boyce and James, Viscount Sanburne, have established personas for themselves that give their lives purpose and their pride sanctuary. She, once made a fool by love, is her dear archeologist father's right hand, his indispensable person of business and chief fund-raiser. James spends his time and energy annoying the father he believes has abandoned his sister in an intolerable situation. When James disrupts Lydia's most recent fund-raising presentation, their carefully nurtured self-concepts begin to crack. She is offended by him, and he is only interested in what he wants to be true. As they become entangled in each other's lives, Lydia fights her attraction to James and his suspicions that her father may not be an honest man. James is equally attracted to her. They spar in conversations that sparkle and physical encounters that are charged with emotion. This might appear to be a standard rake-and-prim-spinster-stumble-into-love story, but that's like saying The Rockford Files was a typical detective show, or Cirque du Soleil is just an acrobatic troupe. Ms. Duran's writing takes everything to a higher level. The prose is rich, the characters believably human. Lydia must explore the idea of loving her father without respecting him; James learns that perhaps he can respect his father without loving him. They also must examine their relationships with their sisters and recognize that there are other points of view in the world no less valid than their own. The ending is a sweet, almost giddy, tumble of hope and love. The journey to it is delightful, with a hero and heroine who are worth it. It's a pleasure to read such a well-crafted book from an incredible talent. Lucky for readers, another book comes out shortly, and a fourth is in the works.

One author who amazes me with her writing is Meredith Duran. When an author has such a hit with their first book, there are some reservations on whether they can do the same with their sophomore release. Meredith doesn't have to worry. She is definitely not a one hit wonder author. Bound by Your Touch is a rich story in its description and the characters. Just as in Duke of Shadows, Meredith's characters grow into better people by the time their tale ends. We, the reader, see them one way and watch as they evolve and learn. So is the case of Lydia Boyce and James Durham. Lydia is a learned, stiff upper lip spinster who releases a button or two from her bodice and turns into a butterfly just by knowing James. James becomes a better man because of Lydia. These two dance around each other to the point they have no choice but to meet in the middle. And when they come to the conclusion they are perfect for one another, it is a very nice thing indeed. Lydia Boyce is a spinster who is firmly on the shelf at twenty-six, not that she minds all that much. She loved a man once, but he played with her heart and ended up marrying her sister instead. With Lydia's father in Egypt finding priceless artifacts, she is the matriarch of her family. She wishes she could be in Egypt with her father, but has a great deal of responsibility in England. Lydia must find funding for the Egypt Exploration Fund which will enable her father to continue his excavations. But things go badly when her father is accused of trading fraudulent pieces. James Durham, the Viscount of Sanburne loves to shock people, especially his father. He loves to bet on horses, engage in boxing matches and is friends with some very undesirable people. He is a rogue and rake, but one who enjoys his reputation and seems to revile in it. He has a new target on his list and that is Lydia. He rudely interrupts her important talk at the Archaeological Institute where he wants to show his father a priceless artifact. Lydia knows it is a fake and after that James sets his sights on her. He is the tiger and she is the poor defenseless creature he will devour. He thinks his father and Lydia are in cahoots together to make him look like a fool. But then he finds out that her father may be a fraud. Lydia cannot believe her precious papa would do such a thing. She will get to the bottom of this. And because James enjoys annoying Lydia, he will join her in her search for the one responsible in discrediting her father. There is no point in Lydia trying to investigate on her own. James won't let her out of his sight. Soon these two team up together. James can't help but show his appreciation toward Lydia, which confounds her greatly. She doesn't understand her appeal and why James wants to show her all the intimacies she has been missing out on. She won't allow herself to fall in love with James. James is the type of man who enjoys the hunt and he will try and make Lydia his willing prey because she will be his

Meredith Duran writes with power, lyricism and elegance that never overshadows the strength of her characters. She is a luminary talent who will rise to take her place among such historical romance greats as Laura Kinsale and Loretta Chase. In BOUND BY YOUR TOUCH, she succeeds on every level. Her hero is charming, but broken. Her heroine is brilliant, but wounded. This story will take your breath away. Even if you have all but stopped reading historical romances (as I had), give this one a chance. I'll wager not only will you find yourself unable to put it down, you will also be haunted by its loveliness. I still find myself thinking about Lydia and Sanburne, weeks after reading it. Though I have other books in my TBR and a lot of work to do, I am tempted to re-read and I almost never do that when there are so many wonderful new books being released. I am awed by Ms. Duran's facility with language. This is a book that raises the bar in every possible aspect, including symbolism, symmetry, plot, and character development. It is a marvel. Once you've read Meredith Duran, you will not be satisfied with less. BOUND BY YOUR TOUCH is a must-read.