(Oh look, they chose my house to put on the cover)
Goddess of the Hunt – Tessa Dare
Historical Romance
July 28, 2009
Paperback, 384 pages
Ballantine Books
This is a debut novel by Tessa Dare that I have seen garner much praise in the land of romance blogs. I must say, all of the praise is well deserved. Romance fans, this one is a must read! I was watching Sarah, from Smart Bitches Trashy Books on her video introduction of Tessa Dare recently on the Borders True Romance Blog. Sarah read a quote from Goddess of the Hunt (in her smexy voice) and after listening to Sarah read it, I stood up, walked to my bookcase, and put Goddess of the Hunt on the very top of my tbr. I knew I had to read it next. The quote:
“He bent his head by slow degrees, until his brow rested against hers. They traded the same breath back and forth. And when his lips finally bridged the last bit of distance between them, it felt like the end of a kiss rather than the beginning.”
*fans self – fans fellow readers*
The story starts with Lucy kissing her life long friend Jeremy, much to his surprise. Jeremy, ten years older than Lucy is best friends with Lucy’s brother Henry and he has watched her grow up. She has always been one of the boys and he has treated her like he would a sister. She has spent years goading Jeremy and trying to get under his skin. Lucy has always had a crush on Toby, another friend of Jeremy and Henry. Toby has always harmlessly flirted with Lucy as she grew up and now she only has eyes for him. All assembled at a house party, Toby is about to propose to Isabella, a woman of fine breeding who would never fish or hunt with the boys. Desperate to prove to Toby that she is more than a little girl now, she is nineteen after all, Lucy decides to practice seducing Jeremy.
Jeremy gives Lucy a very stern lecture, but he can’t help but notice Lucy standing in his room in the middle of the night scantily dressed, trying to kiss him. His brain snaps to attention, how has he missed Lucy transforming into a woman?
Jeremy knows Lucy is very stubborn and will stop at nothing to get Toby’s attention. He holds a meeting with Henry, Toby and Felix and to his dismay they decide Jeremy should be the one to seduce Lucy to hold off her attentions on Toby just to give Toby enough time to make up his mind on whether he should propose to Isabella. To make matters worse, Lucy realizes this plan and goes full force ahead with it, knowing if she makes Toby jealous, he may just come calling on her.
As Jeremy and Lucy pretend to be besotted with each other, something starts to develop. Jeremy feels attracted from the first puckered kiss Lucy gave on his lips in the middle of the night and Lucy starts to realize pretending to be romantic with Jeremy is not as funny as it used to be.
The Goddess of the Hunt is romance at its best. There are no evil villains, no murderous sub-plots. Just the story of these two characters falling in love. Are they confronted with issues? Yes. Do things happen that pull them apart? Yes. But from page one, the romance between the two of them is intimately written and never lacking.
One of my favorite things about this book is the romance scenes last for pages and pages. Tessa Dare lets you sit back and just enjoy this couple. Nothing is rushed, yet the pace moves and you are never bored. Each thought, each touch, each caress is told with exquisite detail. The dialogue is extremely clever and smart. I was laughing out loud of most of the book. Lucy is very much not a lady. She eats too much, she never wants her hair done appropriately, she doesn’t care about the proper things a lady should do. She takes control of many of the situations, even romantically. She is the one grabbing Jeremy and pulling him in for an embrace or kiss. I absolutely loved her. As Jeremy is pretending to be besotted with her he thinks:
A besotted man, evidently, would sit by his lady’s side at the pianoforte and turn pages for her – even if the only tune his lady knew was a vulgar drinking song, which she played from memory at a dirge-like tempo for nearly an hour straight.
Lucy is so my kind of girl! Jeremy is more quiet, cool, and does his best to try to make his feelings for her go away. He has this overnight epiphany of Lucy no longer a child. It kicks his hormones into overdrive. When he decides not to fight it anymore is when his lust for Lucy (and my lust for him) went full force ;).
Clever, witty, and one of the most romantic books I have read.
Rating: Five stars
This series includes:
Goddess of the Hunt – July 28, 2009
Surrender of a Siren – August 25, 2009
A Lady of Persuasion – September 28, 2009
Tessa Dare’s website
More reviews:
Hi Mandi,
I love your reviews!! This is already in my TBR pile. I think I will be moving it up :o)
Thanks!
Hi Mandi,
Lovely review!
Aww it was such a nice book, just them and the love, and when I warmed up to Jeremy I sure liked him.
Loved the things she made him too, very funny.
And your house is very lovely btw ;)
Randi – move it up! you will love it!
Blodeuedd – Thank you. We need to buy furniture. ;)
Mandi, you just told me all I longed for to hear!! I have Tessa dare on the shelves but with historicals I am always on my qui vive…some might hit home with me but many just don't and I just love to read undiluted romance like that. And from that snippet of a quote the writing style is really something I can appreciate. Thanks for adding your review to the praise already out there :D
Leontine – I really think you will like this one! It's one of those books that you yell at yourself for letting it sit in tbr pile for too long! And there are two more to enjoy which I have on order! I can't wait.
I have this one in my TBR pile and keep meaning to read it and something always comes up. I know I'm going to like it – so much so that I've already purchased the 2nd book! After your review it's moving up in the queue.
Great review! It's on my wish list!
Mandi, what a wonderful review! And yes! I just snagged this from the library. :)
I like what you said about "no evil villains, no murderous sub-plots. Just the story of these two characters falling in love." I expect to have strong antagonists in PNR and UF but sometimes they get in the way of the romance in historicals.
Moving this one up Mt. TBR. :)
I'm so wanting this book and after reading your review, I'm wanting it even more.
I'm holding out until A Lady of Persuasion is released so I can read all three back to back. :D
Patti – I have the next two on order – they each feature supporting characters :)
Mary – Thanks!
Leslie – you are right – some stories have to have a strong protagonist..this one definitely has bumps along the way for the two of them..
Lou – you won't have to wait much longer :)
Mandi, what a wonderful review and you answered my second thoughts about this book. Now I am going to have to get this book. Thanks.
Armenia – Yes – you won't be disappointed! :)
Okay, so this is the Tessa Dare book I have been hearing so much about. Great review! I love it when romances actually focus on the romance! When am I going to find the time to read all these books?!
Jill – I know..I need more time in my day too!
Nice house, Mandi!
I don't know about this one. She's in love with Toby so she decides to seduce Jeremy…? Uh, brilliant plan. I did like that quote, though. *fans self*
Mandi:
What a great review! Man, I can't buy any more books right now…
But now I want it.. lol
Seriously – great job.
L
Heidenkind – it is more – she is in love with Toby so Jeremy decides to seduce her to give Toby a break for a bit..but then she realizes what they are up to and she decides to use the jealousy factor to woo Toby back.
Lea – I have been so bad the past few week buying book! I have to stop!
Great review Mandi! I have both Goddess of the Hunt and Surrender of a Siren in my TBR pile. I really need more hours in a day so I can read as much as I would like each day.
I am so tempted to rush out and get this book, but no I have to weed down my pile before I start lusting after new books…
Thanks for the review
E.H>
Okay Girl… adding another book to the wish list! =) You are evil woman, lmao!!!
This books sounds very enjoyable! I do indeed tend to look this one up!
Thanks for the recommendation!
I hope you have a great weekend!
So glad you enjoyed this! I also enjoyed the second one, and I'm really looking forward to the third next week!
This sounds right up my alley! I am adding this to my want to read list right now. :)