Reckless

Anne Stuart's House of Rohan series is mesmerizing due in large part to the Rohan men who are intriguing, dark, complex and passionate. Adrian Rohan is so charismatic that I found him to be much more exciting than the heroine and every other character in this novel. The heroine, Charlotte is wonderfully written along with the secondary characters too but Adrian really is the driving force of this story. Charlotte lives with her charming beautiful cousin, Lina who could have been written as a scheming unsympathetic woman but wisely Stuart gives Charlotte's cousin a sympathetic nature, a deep personality and her own story. Charlotte has had a secret crush on elusive bad boy Adrian Rohan for years. Lina and Charlotte attend a wicked house party for different reasons, Lina looks to indulge her own fleshly desires and she also hopes to show Charlotte how very base men can be. Lina does not want Charlotte to ever marry as Lina had a disastrous marriage and wants to spare Charlotte the terrible experience. Charlotte is curious about the goings on at the three day party and since she will be somewhat disguised she believes she will be unnoticed; also Adrian will be at the party. Adrian does see Charlotte there and what ensues is one of the most passionate, earthy and sensuous seductions Ms Stuart has ever written. Charlotte is so fascinated by Adrian and he feels the same about her but he is unsure why this tall, outspoken woman is so desirable to him. The two spend days together and it is almost in a sensual haze. When they part, neither can forget the other. These characters are emotive and their dialogue and inner thoughts are revealing. Adrian struggles with his feelings not only about Charlotte but also about his family, like many heroes he is running from his more sensitive nature yet Charlotte brings out new feelings of protectiveness and happiness in him. Charlotte is a bluestocking, confident in her intellect and character, firmly on the shelf but there is such longing for Adrian that she is vulnerable when she is with him. Their interactions are explosive and not just in the bedroom, the leads like each other but are fighting the pull of attraction too. The secondary romance between Lina and a Vicar is unexpected and good. Ms Stuart has paired two opposites who really need each other more than they realize. Reckless is a fantastic story about need, desire and the power of love. This is going on the keeper shelf.

I didn't think that my love for Anne Stuart's work could get any stronger.....but I was wrong. The House of Rohan series absolutely takes my breath away, leaves me with butterflies in my stomach, and consumes my time and thoughts. How I wish I knew this woman personally so I could thank her for all the hours of wonderful reading she's given, and continues to give me. Reckless was perfect. The hero of this story, Adrian, is Francis and Elinor's son . Francis and Elinor's story can be found in the book Ruthless, and although Reckless can be read as a stand alone, Ruthless is a "don't miss" kind of book so be sure to read that one as well. Many things separate Anne Stuart from all others. Her heroes are legendary, her stories are unique and captivating, but her gift with the character's dialogue is unparalleled. I found myself experiencing a myriad of emotions as I read this book and was captivated by the dialogue. Adrian is a complete rake and libertine. At age 30, Charlotte is a spinster who is officially "on the shelf". Charlotte has been secretly in love with Adrian for years (I love this storyline!), while Adrian has been out "sowing his wild oats". I love a good story where the tables turn and the seducer becomes the one who is seduced! What begins as lust and a seemingly one night stand turns into so much more as Adrian is brought to his knees by Charlotte. I loved the passion in this relationship! Anytime Charlotte and Adrian were in the same room...sparks flew. Whether fighting, conversing, ignoring, or succumbing....this relationship is passionate. Another thing that separates this book from others is that I EXPERIENCED this relationship. I felt what Charlotte was feeling. I felt what Adrian was feeling. This is so rare. The secondary romance is so touching and Adrian and Charlotte are so sizzling. Again, I find myself in awe and pledging my undying loyalty to Ms. Stuart's talent. Read this series.....now......don't heitate......don't wait......it's worth every penny and every minute.

Very entertaining. It held my interest from start 2 finish. The book held quite an amount of redundancies, which however did not take too much away from the book. To add to it, the love scenes were great.

I read "Reckless" last night in one sitting. It was fantastic. I have read and enjoyed most of Anne Stuart's historical romances. I have to say that I liked "Reckless" more that the previous book in the trilogy. The heroine of Reckless, Charlotte, didn't have the emotional baggage that Elinor had in Ruthless. I love stories where the handsome, jaded hero falls for the awkward wallflower. And this one fit that bill tremendously. The hero, Adrian, is the son of the couple in Ruthless and is just as debauched as his father was before his mother tamed him. We all know that this type of hero really isn't all bad and the right little lady will be the making of him. This book hit all my favorite buttons--smart, believable couple, a chance to see his parents are still in love, and a great secondary romance. The story of Simon and Lina was a great addition to this story. A lot of time I sort of skim over the secondary romance, but I didn't in this one or in Ruthless. I enjoyed both tales. Lina is one of my least favorite types of heroines, the kind with lots of mileage, but I was really rooting for her. Simon, a hunky vicar, is just the man to see through her charade and make her happy. I would have liked to see their story be a little longer. It was very rewarding. 5 stars for a great book. I can only hope the next book continues this upward spiral.

I liked The Wicked House of Rohan and Ruthless a lot, but in Reckless, Anne Stuart achieves a balance that had me transfixed with delight throughout the whole book. I enjoyed the story so much that I read it in two sittings, and I got emotionally involved with the characters earlier than in the others books. The love scenes are sizzling. The interaction between Adrian and Charlotte is so well done that at times I felt like a voyeur. The way the characters from Ruthless came into Reckless was perfect. Actually it was nice to see Francis and Elinor again. If there is anything, I could say that I didn't like, it's when the secondary romance interrupts the first. I even fastforwarded a few pages to continue reading what really interested me. That's a personal thing, really trivial, which won't bother most readers. Later, I went back and read those pages I skipped, and realized the secondary romance is deeply emotional. If only it would have been feed to us at different points on the plot. In Ruthless, the secondary romance was woven in better. All the same, I still cherish Reckless. I wish there was a seven stars rating I could give it. Because I love it.