The Lady's Tutor

I still can't get over how good this book was. It was incredible. I don't know how Schone did it. The story is set in late 1800's, Victorian times. Elizabeth seems to be the perfect Victorian wife. But she isn't. All she wants is to be loved, to experience passion, to feel alive. She is not able to get that from her husband. He shows her no love, no tenderness. So she seeks out Ramiel who is known as a bastard shiek; a man who knows how please a woman in many ways. She hopes that he can teach her how to seduce her husband; so he teaches her the art of seduction through a book and with his words. Soon the heat and passion becomes too much for them, and they have to face their feelings for one another. Meanwhile someone is trying to kill Elizabeth. Her husband is hiding a dark secret. Elizabeth's life is unravelling and she is trying to gain her control and life back. Ramiel is so sexy and hot. He is so good to Elizabeth. The dialogue between the two of them is amazing, and yes, highly erotic. I just loved this book. It is a must read.

This was the third time I have read this book, and after reading some of the negative reviews here I decided to finally add my 2 cents. To the comments that this book was just sex with no romance, I have to wonder at those readers' definition of romance. True, the hero and heroine do not go for quiet walks, hold hands over candlelight dinners and make cow eyes at each other. But their deep feelings for one another are quickly obvious from the beginning. Ramiel could have all the sex he wants, with any woman he wants, but Elizabeth moves him in ways no one else ever has, making him want to protect her and her sons and make a commitment to them. She is married and should expect nothing more than a physical fling, but he makes her feel cherished and deserving of her own happiness in life. That is real romance to me, not poetry and flowers. As to the complaints about homosexuality and/or homophobia, I did not see the gay men in this books represented in any more negative a light than men who cheat on their spouses in other books. And, I have read *much* more adult + minor sex between heterosexuals in other romance novels - why is it only bad for gays, and not for 30+ year-old men taking 16 or 17 year-old girls? That's just downright hypocritical. If you call it pedophilia in this book, then it's pedophilia in all those others, too. And to the charges of racism, I just don't see it. This book did not paint Arabic people as bad in my mind, just culturally different, and that should be no surprise. And the opinions expresses by the characters should be taken in the context of the time period it is set in. If you expect 19th century characters to have 21st century open minds, you have no business reading a historical novel.

I have read several other books and short stories by Ms. Schone and I beleive this is the best so far well atleast my favorite.A wonderful story of a woman needing love and wanting to give love. Elizabeth believes her husband has taken a mistress so she sets out to win him back by taking lessons in love from a notorious disreputable man (Rameil-the bastard sheik) with a reputation for sexual excess.These are not physical lessons but turorial book work from the famed 'The perfumed Garden'. She wants her husband back not a lover but as the sexual tension builds and Elisabeth tries to seduce her husband with her new skills and courage her world begins to unravel.This book has many secrets and at times you can almost guess the secrets but it is the careful weaving of the plot that keeps you reading on. Like lots of Schones books each page reveals more and more, you become hypnotized by the rythme of the conversation and plot, almost riveted. I like Ms Schones books greatly. I am not sure its literature or not I just enjoyed the read. It dawned on me that it remined be of DH Lawrences' LADY CHATTERLY'S LOVER of course no comparison in style or literary greatness just simple similarities in the characters. Lady Chatterly was a very lonely woman looking for love and so is Elisabeth Petre.Of course a warning for those readers who are offended by sex situations, sex talk, and alternitive life styles: this book is full of erotic situations and should not be read by the easily offended reader.

In an effort to reconnect to her distant husband, Elizabeth daringly requests Ramiel to tutor her on the art of sexually pleasing a man. The tutorial sessions are conducted with a book, pens, and paper because Elizabeth has no intention of pleasing a man other than her husband. The "stimulating" dialogues between teacher and student ignite delicious sexual tension that steadily builds throughout the novel.Elizabeth has an inner core of independence, passion, and wit, and after their first meeting, Ramiel only has eyes for her. He wants her to love her body, and he wants her to freely express her true self; he wants to shield her from all pain and make everything "right" for her. The writing is excellent because Schone confides in the reader and reveals her characters' secrets along the way. Suspense builds steadily until the biggest secrets are revealed, and the story ends with an incredibly erotic and romantic "bang." I would highly recommend this book to erotic romance readers. The only disclaimer is that some readers may not be able to handle the "biggest secrets" about Elizabeth's political family. Although some... were extremely put off by these "secret events," I found them to be integral to the story line, and therefore, not too bothersome.There is courage, love, and healing in this story, and the "good," honest characters ultimately overcome the "bad," cold-hearted, deceitful ones. Therefore, if the reader is willing to overlook Schone's inclusion of some brief objectionable scenes, this book will be a very enjoyable read.

I've read other authors who claim to test the boundaries between romance and eroticism (Susan Johnson and Thea Devine) and this is the first one where I have actually been able to believe that the lead protagonists have fallen in love. This is not just a book about two people meeting one another and immediately beginning to engage in meaningless, well, to quote Ally McBeal, "that verb"ing. It is very erotic, yes, because it isn't just about the actual act, but because it is also about anticipation. Besides the very well-written sub-plot, and the incredibly finely-drawn characters, all of which I enjoyed, the other benefit of this book is educational. It's like a far more interesting and engaging version of the Kama Sutra.