Comments on: REVIEW: Never Deceive a Duke by Liz Carlyle

By: Jayne

Jayne — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:14:03 +0000

Robin, I’m resigned to being in the minority on this book.

By: Robin

Robin — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 02:04:52 +0000

I liked this book much better than both of you did. I didn’t take that last statement of Gabriel/Gareth’s as rejecting his Jewishness at all; in fact, I loved that he wanted so much to be a Jew, that he respected the Jewish traditions and was able to appreciate them despite the fact that he was neither accepted as Jewish or Christian. I felt that when he made that comment to whatever member of the staff he was talking to at the time that he was simply stating a fact — in a sense he was both Anglican and Jewish, and in fact, I felt that he was sort of angry when he made that comment, exasperated both by the circumstances (that he wasn’t completely Jewish and yet also resented how “foreign” the Jews were seen) and by the fact that he was not allowed to be fully in one religion or the other. Because there were so many wonderful moments he had with Antonia when he was telling her about the Jewish way of honoring the dead by sitting Shiva and by respecting the process of grief. To me, NDAD was way way above NLTAL in both the quality of the narrative and the compelling nature of the story. It reminded me of several of Jo Goodman’s novels, especially in the way Gareth was tortured but still responsible and kind. Great communication between he and Antonia, as well. Two smart characters who didn’t act dumb.

By: Jane

Jane — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 18:48:13 +0000

Jane remember at the end of the book Gareth tells Antonia (?) that “he’s as English as you are�? or something like that and that he’d been baptised in the Church of England and went to church just like everyone else.

Yep, that’s what I was thinking about too. It was like Carlyle went out her way to make a big deal about his half Jewish nature and how it was supposedly drummed out of him by his grandparents in their passive aggressive way but the resolution was that his English nature blotted out that ugly stain? Weird and I don’t really think Carlyle has meant it that way because her inclusion of past non-English characters.

I thought the covers were lovely.

By: Sybil

Sybil — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 18:13:25 +0000

I loved the covers. And loved the second book and really enjoyed the first one but I know Lawson has had a hard time even starting the first book.

So I think reviews are gonna be all over. The big thing I am sad about it the last book will not be out until NEXT YEAR. le sigh… and that is the book I want, want, want to read.

By: Kerry Allen

Kerry Allen — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 16:12:57 +0000

I like the covers, too. I used the “Never Lie” cover (the blue dress) in an upcoming blog entry about good romance novel covers. I think I chose it over the yellow one because it goes better with my color scheme, but I admire them both.

By: emdee

emdee — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:50:52 +0000

I’m almost at the end of this book and I am enjoying it. I’ve read all of Carlyle’s books and they are all keepers for me. Indeed, it was a Carlyle book that brought me back to the romance fold 3 years ago after a long absence. I don’t understand the negative comments on the covers, I think they are lovely. As for the story itself, it is depressing but reminds me more of something Kinsale would write than anything else, just takes me back a bit to The Shadow and the Star.

By: Jayne

Jayne — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:17:35 +0000

Jane remember at the end of the book Gareth tells Antonia (?) that “he’s as English as you are” or something like that and that he’d been baptised in the Church of England and went to church just like everyone else.

One thing that I think is strange, looking back, is during the chapter openings when both his grandfather and grandmother, despite their promises to their daughter to raise Gareth as a Protestant Englishman, kept saying to him things like, “When will you learn that you’re not like them (the Protestant English)?” Kind of defeats the whole purpose.

By: Jane

Jane — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 21:22:51 +0000

The more I think about the Jewish character issue, the more that it bothers me. I almost felt (but I don’t think the author intended this) that the prejudices were resolved by them agreeing that he was English, not just Jewish.

By: jaq

jaq — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 16:18:56 +0000

once tremulous Antonia starts sucking him dry with her need.

I found this sentence funny as hell. :-D

Sorry, I don’t have anything relevant to add to this comment thread. I’m fairly sure I have read a Carlyle book at some point, but nothing is comes to mind so she might have been one of those INYIM authors. On the other hand… Tara and I have close tastes in reading matter. On the other, other, hand having just read the YA book CRANK I think I’ve had my fill of dark/depressing reads for the time being.

By: MCHalliday

MCHalliday — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 16:18:11 +0000

Dueling reviews are such a great idea, perfectly illustrating the differences in reader enjoyment; one may be moved to tears and another be so unmoved, as to think the book a waste of time. Kudos, Ja(y)nes!

By: Emma

Emma — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 15:20:45 +0000

And OMG that cover. That would put me off even lifting the thing off the shelf.

This is interesting to me, because I’ve seen discussions elsewhere on what a lovely set of covers she has been given for this series. Would you have preferred a clinch cover? What is it about the cover that turns you off?

By: Angela

Angela — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:26:16 +0000

That’s too bad Jayne, as I’m really interested in the romance genre including non-Christian protagonists. The Jewish heritage of a few of her characters both main and secondary that made me enjoy Nita Abrams’ spy series so much.

By: Erastes

Erastes — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 12:45:21 +0000

I find any mention of servants rather incongrous in regencies, as servants were invisible in the main. I wouldn’t take either a 20th century representative file or Georgette Heyer as source material.

And OMG that cover. That would put me off even lifting the thing off the shelf.

By: Tara Marie

Tara Marie — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 12:27:11 +0000

I am 60 pages into this book and enjoying it, so once again I wont be reading the reviews until I’m finished :)

By: Jayne

Jayne — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 11:59:37 +0000

Angela, I wanted to like this book and as I said, it started well. For the prologue and maybe the first 2-3 chapters. Then it was downhill all the way.

One thing I forgot to mention was someone (I think it was Gareth) using the term “Jewess” to describe his mother. I have been told by someone who knows that this term is considered an insult so for a seemingly sympathetic character to use it (honestly I can’t recall just now who actually used it) was like a slap. And as Jane says, the issue of his staff and Society’s feelings about his background was never dealt with. So why have it in the book at all?

It looks like I’m going to have to go backward with Carlyle’s books in order to find good ones.

By: Angela

Angela — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 11:36:24 +0000

I was so bored that I ended up skimming the last 2/3 of NLTaL. I was intrigued by Gareth’s Jewish heritage, but despite AAR gving this book a decent review, I was still on the fence about. I’m going to have to go with Jayne because her review hit the type of stuff that is destined to bug the hell out of me. Ah well, it was good while it lasted, but I don’t think I can keep Carlyle on my auto-buy list anymore.