CLAIMING THE COURTESAN

Author: Anna Campbell ISBN: 0061234915 4/2007 HISTORICAL Publisher: AVON
Time Period: Regency, late 1820's

He would marry her and possess her in every way possible. The Duke of Kylemore knows her as Soraya, London's most celebrated courtesan. Men fight duels to spend an hour in her company. And only he comes close to taming her. Flying in the face of society, he decides to make her his bride; then, she vanishes, seemingly into thin air. Dire circumstances have forced Verity Ashton to barter her innocence and change her name for the sake of her family. But Kylemore destroys her plans for a respectable life when he discovers her safe haven. He kidnaps her, sweeping her away to his hunting lodge in Scotland, where he vows to bend her to his will. There he seduces her anew. Verity spends night after night with him in his bed ...and though she still dreams of escape and independence, she knows she can never flee the unexpected, unwelcome love for the proud, powerful lover who claims her both body and soul.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Every once in a while a book comes along that simply blows you out of the water with its originality, its subject matter, its silk-like sensuality, the depth of its characters and dialogue that makes you hang on to every word. CLAIMING THE COURTESAN is one such book. The fact that it's written by a debut author makes it even more surprising to me as I would have expected a story like this from a much more seasoned author. If this is only the first penning by writer Anna Campbell, then waiting for her next arrival is going to be an interminable one for this reviewer, I can tell you.

I have to say this in my review, although I'm not fond of making comparisons. The Duke of Kylemore is one highly unlikable character from the onset, a man who reminds me a lot of the Duke of Kittridge in Karen Ranney's UPON A WICKED TIME. Both seem heartless, cold, spoiled, and almost beyond redemption. But these are the aristocrats of their day, both displaying the sheer power and aloofness that set one class totally out of reach from the other. The fact that both authors were able to raise these men up to redeemed souls by the end of their stories, well, that's what the best of authors are able to do, correct? Oh, there's still that aloofness and a bit of unapproachable edge to them, but those really good writers out there make us understand why it's part of their character and allow us to accept it. Campbell has that quality about her work, and then some.

However, having that comparison over with, let's move on down a bit of rocky road, shall we? CLAIMING THE COURTESAN is not going to be one of those books that gets a high five in reviews and then sits on someone's back burner. Oh, no. This little blue book is going to cause quite a stir and a LOT of conversation—on message boards, blogs and in reading groups, and not just in the month it's released. Let's just say that if you can't put your mindframe back into the time period this story takes place in, then be prepared to be outraged, confused, and even amazed, at times, that the author had the guts to go with it where she did. And I'll be totally honest here. All I could think of when I first started reading it, and before I propelled myself back to a time where women had little or no standing, was restraining orders, sexual battery charges, kidnapping and a white cravated mug shot on America's Most Wanted. What this man does both in an emotional and physical sense to his captive, had me so torn at times, that I don't think I closed my mouth once while reading through a couple of the chapters. Campbell definitely put this head and heart into severe emotional turmoil. And I loved it!

It's evident that Anna Campbell's a risk taker, but without being one, CLAIMING THE COURTESAN would have been just another Regency romance in the multitude of many. Believe me, this book is very, very far from it. It's one of the most original and provocative stories I've read in historical romance in as many years as I can count, and one that I'm so very glad I got a chance to review. CLAIMING THE COURTESAN, by Anna Campbell, has now jumped to the number one spot on my keeper shelves.

Nancy Davis