The Surrender of Lady Jane by Marissa DayPublication Date: July 2011
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Genre: Erotic Historical Romance, Paranormal element
Pages: Paperback, 336pp
ISBN-13: 9780425241257
ISBN: 0425241254
(Received for an honest review from Berkley Heat)
Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound
Excerpt from The Surrender of Lady Jane WARNING: This excerpt may contain content inappropriate for readers under 18 years of age.
Synopsis:
Centuries ago, Sir Thomas Lynne was seduced by the faery queen Tatiana. He does her bidding while Tatiana’s magic keeps him young. Now she orders him to gain entrance to Kensington Palace, where he’s to seize an infant, the future Queen of England, as prophecy says one day that child will defeat the fae once and for all. To accomplish this he must seduce an attendant of the Regency Court, the respectable widow, Jane DeWitte.
Resigned to a widow’s solitary life, Lady Jane is startled to find a man penetrating her dreams, exciting her most forbidden desires—a skilled master who shows her a world of starling magic and extreme pleasure. But when he enters her life, Jane takes hold of Thomas’ heart and they learn that even magic cannot overpower true love. Together they must put an end to Tatiana’s deceptions to save the Isle of Britain and ultimately their very souls.
Thoughts:
Marissa Day, a pseudonym of author Sarah Zettel, brings readers a novel filled with passion and sensuality. The Surrender of Lady Jane combines steamy Regency romance with the magical elements of the paranormal. Readers will become lost in this enchanting story of love and desperate choices. Day's ability to create steamy love scenes will appeal to readers who like to add a little spice to their reading, while her smooth writing style and descriptive prowess will draw in mainstream romance readers. A seductive romp that erotic romance fans will not want to miss!
Thomas Lynne has spent his life in the service of Tatiana, Queen of the faeries. She keeps him young and alive so long as he does her bidding. But now a prophecy threatens all the fae. A child is to be born to the Duchess of Kent that is in line to be the Queen of England and the prophecy declares her to be the one who will vanquish Queen Tatiana and all of the fae forever. Tatiana knows they must somehow get close and kidnap the child when she is born. She encourages Thomas to seduce the Duchess's attendant Lady Jane in order to have access to the child when it is born. But when Thomas finds himself falling in love with Jane will he risk everything in order to be with her? Will Jane be able to give herself to a man she barely knows?
The Surrender of Lady Jane is a book with a lot of layers, which I was really surprised by. Usually what I expect with an erotic romance is a lot of heat and not very much plot, but this one certainly didn't follow that pattern. Don't get me wrong, it has all the passion and heat a reader would want but the story itself is not dependent on sexuality. It could stand alone without the sex and still be a great book, with a very engaging plot. I have been a fan of the paranormal for sometime now and the fae are my favorite supernatural characters. I am of Scottish ancestry and stories of the Queen of the faeries and her realm were a part of my childhood that lingers in my memory and this book satisfied that part of me that still wants to believe. Day does a remarkable job of bringing the fae to life in this book, as well as, creating the sexual tension necessary to pull off a good erotic romance.
I liked the fact that the author chose to set the book in the Regency period for a couple of reasons. I am a big historical romance fan and the Regency period is one of my favorites to read about. For one thing, woman were kept under so many rules and regulations, from how they dressed to how they acted and there was very little room for impropriety. Which makes the relationship between Jane and Thomas that much more risky and sinfully sensual. He starts out messing with her dreams and then comes into her life for real. How would you like the man of your sexual fantasies to just show up on your doorstep so to speak? A very nice touch.
It is obvious to the reader that Thomas is a man who is divided. He owes his life to Queen Tatiana but he has his reservations about how she does things. The author portrays Tatiana as a bit self-centered and willing to do whatever it takes and hurt anyone who gets in her way, even a helpless child. That seemed to go against the grain for Thomas and I think that's where he begins to question his loyalty to her. Thomas was a really great character and I thought Day made him into a real hero, but one who carried that bad boy kind of image that women are so drawn to. He may not have had tattoo's and played in a rock band but he certainly got Jane's attention with his lessons in lovemaking.
The sexual aspect of the book was well written. It didn't leave a lot to the imagination and there were several scenes that will get the readers motor running. It was full of passion and sexual tension, but it was more than that. Thomas wanted her desperately and she wanted him but it didn't stop with just one night of passion. It ran deeper than that. The chemistry between them is electric and his dominance is very sensual and alluring. I think Day played on the part of readers who want their romances to have the fairy tale element. That love that will not allow itself to be tamed, that won't let itself go unnoticed. True love! This isn't a book you'd want to share with a young reader because it uses adult language and adult situations, but if the reader is looking for a book that will light their fire, this one might be the one.
Jane is such a wonderful character. She has a sort of innocence about her, yet she has this wildness inside her that just wants to come out. Reminds me of that beautiful adage, "a lady in the street and a freak in the sheets" LOL! She is everything a Regency woman is expected to be. Intelligent, well traveled, soft spoken, the perfect companion for any woman of the ton. But when she gets with Thomas her inner wildcat comes out. She is willing to do and try anything he suggests, she opens herself up to exploring her passionate nature and it's kind of interesting to watch her blossom and change her ideals about love and sex. Very well done.
I recommend this one to readers who like to spice it up a bit in their reading. This one not only has the passion and heat they might desire, but a plot that is interesting and full of surprises. The paranormal element gives it a twist that some readers will really enjoy. It's full of sensuality and tension and even true love. This is one great erotic romance!
The Surrender of Lady Jane is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.
This is the first time I have given and erotic romance 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag. That should tell you something!
Marissa Day writes her steamy historical, paranormal romances for Berkely Heat. Her first romance novel, LOVE’S OWN TIME was written 20 years ago and was, according to the author, “an absolute disaster which thankfully never saw the light of day.” Since then, thanks to her agent, her editors and a very patient critique group, she’s learned some more about writing, and, thanks to her husband, a lot more about happily-ever-after.
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