[43L]⋙ Descargar Sleeping Beauty Judith Ivory 9780380786459 Books

Sleeping Beauty Judith Ivory 9780380786459 Books

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Sleeping Beauty Judith Ivory 9780380786459 Books

**Spoilers**
I first read this book about three years ago and I would be the last person to say that it isn't interesting. In fact, Judith Ivory is a very gifted writer, no doubt about it. But, of course, when it comes do the bottom line, many of us who review books in this genre base our reviews on our likes and dislikes of the characters and how the storyline unfolds.

In this book, we have a young man, James Stoker, who has recently returned from what was considered a highly successful African expedition. He's become Society's darling and gained a Knighthood and is up for an Earldom. I loved James in so many ways - he was honorable, honest, hardworking, optimistic - just bouncing along enjoying his life and so glad to have made it out of Africa alive. In fact he was the only member of the expedition who made it back alive which contributed to some problems later on in the story, but I'm not going to deal with that in this review.

Into this world, a lovely bombshell drops - Coco Wild. She's a few years older than James but he falls hard and fast and this is where my difficulties with the story actually began. James soon learns Coco is a well known courtesan and has slept with several men even among the exalted educational circle of which he is a part. But to James' credit, he sees beyond Coco's past and wants the woman inside. Of course it doesn't hurt that she's a raving beauty.

Okay, so here's where I have to work through some stuff. In this genre, we're accustomed to reformed rakes and nearly every hero most popular writers include in their stories have slept around. In my personal life, I strongly believe in marriage and fidelity. However, I also believe what's good for the goose is good for the gander, so to speak. In other words, I totally saw where James was coming from when his thoughts are revealed to the reader about how nice it would be if Society in his day and age would give the same freedom to women as it did men when it came to sleeping partners. Not, that I'm saying free love or sleeping around for either males or females is my standard or even what I personally believe in. But... neither do I believe in a double standard and the old "men will be men" philosophy.

I've tried to come to terms with the double standard relative to men and woman throughout history and I just don't get it. Okay, actually I do - I think it's because most of the time, men have ruled the world and still do for the most part and I don't for one second mean to imply I'm a man hater or basher. Still, I don't buy the theory that it was all about "protecting the man's issue and blood and therefore, the womb must be kept protected." Balderdash! I think men wanted to have their fun and they had the power in Society to make sure pressure was put upon the wife/virgin they would eventually choose to help keep her "virtuous" - at least physically. Therefore women had to be covered most of the time in loads of clothing, nothing basically seen except her face and hands, with the exception of her bosom which could be on display for men to ogle and, then there was the ever present chaperone. Of course, none of this mattered if the girl wasn't from the right social class. "Lower orders" were fair game. Ok, enough preaching.

So, I'm asking myself why in the world I had such a problem with Coco's past and the fact that she was a person I considered less than what James deserved in so many ways - yet knowing they were eventually going to make a match of it. I suppose it was what I considered to be the cold-hearted approach that I eventually came to see in how Coco managed her life. In fact, she had a history of mistressing two men at the same time, even friends, but never sharing any of their secrets with one another which was a type of her own code of honor I suppose.

Although this seemed to suit the men in question - obviously, they even played games by confessing their plans and doings with her, knowing she would hear the same from their professional rivals, yet counting upon her honor to keep her mouth shut. Then, there was the well-known man whose bastard son she birthed and whose wife was very ill and who Coco believed would leave his wife and marry her - apparently for years, until she finally got wise to his game. So, even though Coco came across as very sweet, having standards of a sort in the secrets she kept, I coudn't like a woman who waited in the shadows for a man to leave his sick wife and marry her. Said man also had some young daughters.

Also, I had difficulties with James continually having to be placed in situations where the men in his circle were discussing Coco's charms. No, they didn't know he and Coco had something going, but still... not my cup of tea. So, even though the author wrote Coco as a charming woman who seemed to be sweet and kind, this wasn't all there was to her. Yes, she was young when she set out upon her lifestyle and she made certain choices early on - that she would rather have an easier life than slaving away in a kitchen or factory. In fact, if a woman didn't have wealth or a good man to provide for them, their choices were very limited. She made her choices, but my point is, that although she comes across as having high standards in some ways, her thoughts about taking a man from his sick wife and daughters reveal a much different Coco, which is downplayed when considering the rest of her character - even by James.

I can't give this book five stars primarily due to Coco's character and the indiscriminate manner in which she had lived her life. Again, not so much the fact she was a courtesan, but her choices within that role.


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Sleeping Beauty Judith Ivory 9780380786459 Books Reviews

This is a lush, romantic story of a (retired) courtesan who falls in love with a younger man. And the man just happens to be England's current hero, having returned from three years in Africa bearing valuable scholarly research as well as a fortune in gold.

James has a brilliant academic career, and perhaps an earldom, ahead of him, but none of that will happen if he publicly takes up with Coco. As for Coco herself, she's become wealthy and entirely independent and has no desire to subject herself to a man's dominion.

The lead characters are engaging, although I must say that the villain was cartoonish and crumpled without putting up a fight. But the love story is deep and complex and ultimately very satisfying.
Couldn't get past the halfway mark. This is a bit of snoozer. Not Judith Ivory's most exciting romance, and she's written some great books. But this one....well, nothing much....happens. Doing a load of wash ended up being more interesting.

James came across as a stalker in the first half, and I didn't find his intentions very honorable. I thought he was a bit creepy. I am also not fond of stories where the heroine justifies selling sex for an income - although I was aware this was the story line before I picked it up. Guess I should have followed my gut.

As far as the age difference- I didn't see what the big deal was. They were both adults- what's 7 years? 15 years would have been an age difference. They weren't even a generation apart. I just didn't think this was remarkable, even for the time period.

I didn't finish the book, so take my review with a grain of salt. Maybe it improves in the second half, but I'm off to put the clothes in the dryer now.
Why doesn't this wonderful author write anymore? If an author can get me to love A book in which the hero is A beta male that declares his love for the heroine by the middle of the book - then that author is really good!!! I am an alpha rake kind of girl that loathes when A hero chases the heroine through out the book and tells her he loves her before the book is at an end. I love the thrill of the chase for the rake from the heroine's point of view - and yet I loved this book that had a hero that was the total opposite of that alpha rake! To be honest, the heroine was the rake! She was once the mistress to princes while James only slept with three other women in his whole life! He was also the sweetest man that wore his heart on his sleeve, and he said the most beautiful things to her, while she was very cynical. He chased her, he adored her, and he loved her unconditionally while still showing human jealousy. This book was very refreshing. The plot was also very engaging, and it kept me returning to the book with excitement. The love scenes were also some of the best ones i've read so far by Ivory. They were detailed and sexy. The reason why I gave this book four stars and not five is because I wished James were able to be a little more take charge in solving all the conflicts that arose in the book, but I guess that's just my love for the alpha male personality showing, which James was not. Overall, all the praise goes to Judith Ivory for making me finally able to enjoy a book that was not about an alpha rake! Her writing skills is emaculate!

Book description
After returning from Africa with A pile of gold and the only one left alive from his group, thrity year old James is finding life to be extremely accommodating. He's being hailed a hero, he's being offered higher positions and is even become a man of means, but best of all the Queen herself has Knighted him, and is going to make him an earl. Life was going swimmingly, until he layed eyes on the seven years older notorious courtesan, Coco Wild. It was love at first sight, and since James is a man that goes after what he wants, he goes after her with everything he's got, but a man on his way to such success can't offord to be involved with a courtesan, and jaded Coco doesn't care how sweet and extremely handsome the young man is, [ or does she?] She will try and save him from himself, but can she save her heart in the process?
**Spoilers**
I first read this book about three years ago and I would be the last person to say that it isn't interesting. In fact, Judith Ivory is a very gifted writer, no doubt about it. But, of course, when it comes do the bottom line, many of us who review books in this genre base our reviews on our likes and dislikes of the characters and how the storyline unfolds.

In this book, we have a young man, James Stoker, who has recently returned from what was considered a highly successful African expedition. He's become Society's darling and gained a Knighthood and is up for an Earldom. I loved James in so many ways - he was honorable, honest, hardworking, optimistic - just bouncing along enjoying his life and so glad to have made it out of Africa alive. In fact he was the only member of the expedition who made it back alive which contributed to some problems later on in the story, but I'm not going to deal with that in this review.

Into this world, a lovely bombshell drops - Coco Wild. She's a few years older than James but he falls hard and fast and this is where my difficulties with the story actually began. James soon learns Coco is a well known courtesan and has slept with several men even among the exalted educational circle of which he is a part. But to James' credit, he sees beyond Coco's past and wants the woman inside. Of course it doesn't hurt that she's a raving beauty.

Okay, so here's where I have to work through some stuff. In this genre, we're accustomed to reformed rakes and nearly every hero most popular writers include in their stories have slept around. In my personal life, I strongly believe in marriage and fidelity. However, I also believe what's good for the goose is good for the gander, so to speak. In other words, I totally saw where James was coming from when his thoughts are revealed to the reader about how nice it would be if Society in his day and age would give the same freedom to women as it did men when it came to sleeping partners. Not, that I'm saying free love or sleeping around for either males or females is my standard or even what I personally believe in. But... neither do I believe in a double standard and the old "men will be men" philosophy.

I've tried to come to terms with the double standard relative to men and woman throughout history and I just don't get it. Okay, actually I do - I think it's because most of the time, men have ruled the world and still do for the most part and I don't for one second mean to imply I'm a man hater or basher. Still, I don't buy the theory that it was all about "protecting the man's issue and blood and therefore, the womb must be kept protected." Balderdash! I think men wanted to have their fun and they had the power in Society to make sure pressure was put upon the wife/virgin they would eventually choose to help keep her "virtuous" - at least physically. Therefore women had to be covered most of the time in loads of clothing, nothing basically seen except her face and hands, with the exception of her bosom which could be on display for men to ogle and, then there was the ever present chaperone. Of course, none of this mattered if the girl wasn't from the right social class. "Lower orders" were fair game. Ok, enough preaching.

So, I'm asking myself why in the world I had such a problem with Coco's past and the fact that she was a person I considered less than what James deserved in so many ways - yet knowing they were eventually going to make a match of it. I suppose it was what I considered to be the cold-hearted approach that I eventually came to see in how Coco managed her life. In fact, she had a history of mistressing two men at the same time, even friends, but never sharing any of their secrets with one another which was a type of her own code of honor I suppose.

Although this seemed to suit the men in question - obviously, they even played games by confessing their plans and doings with her, knowing she would hear the same from their professional rivals, yet counting upon her honor to keep her mouth shut. Then, there was the well-known man whose bastard son she birthed and whose wife was very ill and who Coco believed would leave his wife and marry her - apparently for years, until she finally got wise to his game. So, even though Coco came across as very sweet, having standards of a sort in the secrets she kept, I coudn't like a woman who waited in the shadows for a man to leave his sick wife and marry her. Said man also had some young daughters.

Also, I had difficulties with James continually having to be placed in situations where the men in his circle were discussing Coco's charms. No, they didn't know he and Coco had something going, but still... not my cup of tea. So, even though the author wrote Coco as a charming woman who seemed to be sweet and kind, this wasn't all there was to her. Yes, she was young when she set out upon her lifestyle and she made certain choices early on - that she would rather have an easier life than slaving away in a kitchen or factory. In fact, if a woman didn't have wealth or a good man to provide for them, their choices were very limited. She made her choices, but my point is, that although she comes across as having high standards in some ways, her thoughts about taking a man from his sick wife and daughters reveal a much different Coco, which is downplayed when considering the rest of her character - even by James.

I can't give this book five stars primarily due to Coco's character and the indiscriminate manner in which she had lived her life. Again, not so much the fact she was a courtesan, but her choices within that role.