Potent Pleasures

ByEloisa James

Release Date: 1999-08-10
Genre: Historical Romance

Score: 4

From 233 Ratings

Description

A young woman’s first taste of forbidden pleasure inadvertently sets off a comedy of errors in this “intriguing Regency romance” (Romantic Times) from the New York Times bestselling author of Midnight Pleasures.

“James weaves a web of scandals and surprises, forcing the reader into a delicious surrender.”—USA Today

Nothing is more seductive than temptation.

Reckless desire sends Charlotte Daicheston into the garden with a dashing masked stranger. He’s powerful, unforgettable, a devastatingly handsome footman who lures her—not against her will—into a grand indiscretion at a masquerade ball.

Then he vanishes.

Several years later, after Charlotte has made her dazzling debut in London society, they meet again. But the rogue is no footman. He’s rich, titled, and doesn’t remember Charlotte. Worse, he’s the subject of some scandalous gossip: rumor has it, the earl’s virility is in question. Charlotte, who knows all too intimately the power of his passion, is stunned by the gossip that has set society ablaze.

At last, there can be a storybook ending . . . unless, of course, Charlotte’s one mad indiscretion had not been with him at all. . . .

Reviews

Utter chaos
1
By BYSUZE
I tried. I really did. I forced myself to read 75% before I gave up.

The idea for the story line is fine. The execution is not.

The third person omniscient point of view (never appealing, ALWAYS difficult to write well) is utter chaos. The transitions between the characters is not well defined —leaving the reader to have to pause and figure out whose head they are currently in. It is difficult to get lost in a story when you’re constantly pausing to figure it out. I really didn’t need to be inside a foot man’s head when he is an extremely minor character in the story.

Too many names, too many characters, too many side stories. No less than a quarter of the book (probably more) could and should have been cut. Much of that was twaddle. Some could have been salvaged and made into separate stories.

Fortunately, the book has few typos and grammar problems. For that, I am truly thankful.

When I tried to make myself finish the book, I realized that I really didn’t give a fig about the characters or what happened to them. I had too much fluff and twaddle to keep,straight to devote enough energy to care.

This author has several other works published and I will read one of those next, hoping that she developed her storytelling skills and found an editor or publisher to reign in the chaos.
Worst thing I’ve ever read in my life
1
By JaytheGod89
Hero is unbelievably dumb, and yet the heroine returned time after time. Ridiculous.
Potent Pleasures
4
By Tiggy/Cookie
I enjoy historical romances on occasions. While I thought this one was overly long, still it was well written and kept my attention.
Potent Pleasures
4
By FameZa
This is the first book by Eloisa James that I've ready. I loved every minute of it. Her characters were very interesting and very believable.

Can't wait to get started on another book!