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A review by sandywilliams03
Fool Me Twice by Meredith Duran
5.0
Excellent book. Meredith Duran is one of the best historical romance authors writing today.
I loved this story. It was a bit risky. We met the hero, Alistair, in Duran's last book. He'd withdrawn into his home after his wife overdosed on opium, and had ruthlessly ended the funding to his brother's hospital. He was basically insane at the beginning of this book. He was dangerous. I think he was suicidal, even if there was a point when he laughed and said he'd never considered killing himself. He'd completely lost it mentally and, had this been real life and not a story, I'm sure he would have been one of those crazy people who went out on a killing spree. He'd take out the people who wronged him, and probably quite a few others who were innocent.
So, how the hell do you redeem a guy like that? How do you create a romance with him as the hero?
I sure as hell couldn't do it. But then, I'm not Meredith Duran. She can write anything and make it feel real and believable.
Duran gave Alistair a heroine with a spine. I love heroines with spine. So many historical romances have meek women as leads, women who sit around and wait for life to force them into action, instead of taking control of their lives. Olivia takes control. She's brave and able to stand up to Alistair, force him out of his cave and back to life and sanity. They are a good match.
The story was great with enough of a non-romance plot to keep me interested. But the thing I love most about Meredith Duran's books is the writing.
Now, I don't usually choose my authors/books based on a writing style or excellent prose. Typically, those books bore me. I like for the words to disappear on the page. If I notice the words, then it's because I'm usually pulled out of the story. Not so with Duran's books. I read certain phrases and I have to shake my head because they are so perfect, so descriptive, so NOT lazy writing.
Here are some of my favorites from Fool Me Twice:
Page 152 "Like that moment when the off-key string finally came into tune and joined with the chord, and the air vibrated with purity" (Can totally FEEL that moment.)
Page 188 "Her hair was the color of copper, sacred metal; men would have made amulets from it in ancient times." (Okay. This one sounds way cheesy in isolation, but I swear it worked while in the midst of reading the book!)
Page 192 "The taunt in her voice speared him like a hook to his chest." (GREAT dialogue cue.)
Page 202 "She could believe it. The Duke of Marwick: like a planet, he exerted his own field of gravity." (I LOVE characters with this affect on the people around them. Sexy.)
Page 210 "Confusion fell over her like a hot net." (Ooh, nice, easy, DIFFERENT description.)
Page 210 "As she understood him, butterflies seemed to flutter - not in her stomach, but all along her skin" (Cliché Twist!)
Page 262 "And he settled back, lacing his hands over his belly, looking for all the world like a very skeptical critic prepared for a second-rate show." (Geez. Why can't I describe people like this!!!)
I'll stop with those and just say again, damn, Meredith Duran is a great writer. #authorenvy
I loved this story. It was a bit risky. We met the hero, Alistair, in Duran's last book. He'd withdrawn into his home after his wife overdosed on opium, and had ruthlessly ended the funding to his brother's hospital. He was basically insane at the beginning of this book. He was dangerous. I think he was suicidal, even if there was a point when he laughed and said he'd never considered killing himself. He'd completely lost it mentally and, had this been real life and not a story, I'm sure he would have been one of those crazy people who went out on a killing spree. He'd take out the people who wronged him, and probably quite a few others who were innocent.
So, how the hell do you redeem a guy like that? How do you create a romance with him as the hero?
I sure as hell couldn't do it. But then, I'm not Meredith Duran. She can write anything and make it feel real and believable.
Duran gave Alistair a heroine with a spine. I love heroines with spine. So many historical romances have meek women as leads, women who sit around and wait for life to force them into action, instead of taking control of their lives. Olivia takes control. She's brave and able to stand up to Alistair, force him out of his cave and back to life and sanity. They are a good match.
The story was great with enough of a non-romance plot to keep me interested. But the thing I love most about Meredith Duran's books is the writing.
Now, I don't usually choose my authors/books based on a writing style or excellent prose. Typically, those books bore me. I like for the words to disappear on the page. If I notice the words, then it's because I'm usually pulled out of the story. Not so with Duran's books. I read certain phrases and I have to shake my head because they are so perfect, so descriptive, so NOT lazy writing.
Here are some of my favorites from Fool Me Twice:
Page 152 "Like that moment when the off-key string finally came into tune and joined with the chord, and the air vibrated with purity" (Can totally FEEL that moment.)
Page 188 "Her hair was the color of copper, sacred metal; men would have made amulets from it in ancient times." (Okay. This one sounds way cheesy in isolation, but I swear it worked while in the midst of reading the book!)
Page 192 "The taunt in her voice speared him like a hook to his chest." (GREAT dialogue cue.)
Page 202 "She could believe it. The Duke of Marwick: like a planet, he exerted his own field of gravity." (I LOVE characters with this affect on the people around them. Sexy.)
Page 210 "Confusion fell over her like a hot net." (Ooh, nice, easy, DIFFERENT description.)
Page 210 "As she understood him, butterflies seemed to flutter - not in her stomach, but all along her skin" (Cliché Twist!)
Page 262 "And he settled back, lacing his hands over his belly, looking for all the world like a very skeptical critic prepared for a second-rate show." (Geez. Why can't I describe people like this!!!)
I'll stop with those and just say again, damn, Meredith Duran is a great writer. #authorenvy