The Velvet Promise

I recently read my 1st Deveraux romance, A Knight in Shining Armor, and was totally smitten by that enchanting story and its wonderful character development. It was so awesome that I decided to read the Montgomery series, but found the Velvet Promise disappointing. I understand this is the beginning book of the series and many characters had to be introduced, but that is not my gripe. Judith was a captivating and independent heroine - no real complaints there. I thought Gavin was perplexing because he lacked some of the qualities I have come to expect in the romantic hero. Their emotional connection just didn't come through to me - there was no real romance. Most of the book showed their relationship to be either adversarial or sexual with few intimate moments where they just got to know one another. There was some suspense plus some creepy secondary characters, but all in all I was dissatisfied. After all the emotional turmoil, I thought the ending was weak. I haven't given up on Jude; I just hope the next book in the series is better.

i was very dissapointed in this book - although i admit i shouldn't have been and might not have been had i looked at the publication date.

the basic plot line goes like this - Judith is forced to marry a man who is in love with another woman but who wants her for what she can bring him. Gavin (the supposed hero) is in love with Alice, who becomes wed to another man.

***SPOILERS***

I HATED the first part of this book - I almost put through it away. Gavin rapes Judith on their wedding night, after declaring his love for another woman on his and Judith's wedding day (oh yeah, and slapping her and knocking her over). Basically he acted like the cruel and unbending man that he is. He never believed his wife and constantly accused her of what he was doing or thinking of doing. Further, he nearly got her killed (more than once) because he refused to see what everyone else saw in the woman he claims he loves, who is evil incarnate.

*** END OF SPOILERS***

Judith was one character I liked. She was brave and mostly true to herself, and very inventive. Basically she was a strong woman who made the best out the hand she was dealt. Gavin on the other hand was a hard man who refused to let go of his prejudices and opinions. To be quite frank, he was brutal and caused Judith all sorts of harm, directly and indirectly. He does attempt (somewhat unsuccessfully in my opinion) to redeem himself by the end, but in my opinion it was too little too late.

That being said, I did like his brothers, they amused me. The other characters helped make this story bearable. Judith's mother and her romance was very sweet.

In my opinion, I would recommend skipping this book unless you are a huge fan of Deveraux, in which case just check it out of the library.

Enjoy your reading :)

"The Velvet Promise" is the first in the 'Velvet' series.
Gavin Montgomery, the eldest of the Montgomery brothers, has been having an affair with Alice Valence. A woman that his brothers dislike. But when comes to an appointed tryst with Gavin to tell him that she is to be married to an old rich man, he informs her that he is to marry the heiress Judith Revedoune. They promise to only marry for money, and to love each other in secret.... once Gavin catches sight of the beautiful Judith, he loses his heart to her. In trying to not love Judith, he torments her from the beginning and she vows to hate him for taking her, but not receiving anything.
Little by little they lose their hearts to each other, and Alice is left behind (who's still married for money). When Alice finds out Gavin fell in love with his wife, she goes to great lengths to get him back... even murder!
Another WONDERFUL Deveraux book!

So I'm a Jude Deveraux Montgomery FANATIC now, and this is definitely a FABULOUS way to start out the series (before you all go off saying actually The Black Lyon starts it I haven't read that one so for me this is the beginning of the series). Gavin and Judith are incredible together, it's nice to see a Tudor woman who stands up for herself and can hold her own. I felt so sorry for her with the trials she has to go through, especially the main one at court (I won't go into detail but let's just say a lot of ooooh poor Judith and almost tears came when I read what happened) and I loved how her fear of heights played into the end. I loved the scenes at court when Jude really got into the history. Alice was a GREAT villian, really evil and it was nice to see a woman able to come up with the schemes on her own rather than being manipulated by someone else, ie Counterfeit Lady or Lost Lady in the James River trilogy. My one complaint with this book is the fact that the first time they get together, it's rape. I felt that was REALLY uncalled for and I didn't think that was a good way to start their love out, even if the second time and from then on is very caring. Also I loved that the other brothers played into this story so that I was so excited to read their tales, especially Stephen when you hear about how Bronwyn holds a knife to his throat on their wedding knight (maybe Judith should have taken a lesson from Bronwyn :-) ). This book also explains WHY Stephen was so late to his and Bronwyn's wedding which plays a big part in Highland Velvet. Definitely read this book but be prepared because after this you'll feel like you have to read the whole Velvet series, if not get the MOntgomery and later Taggert novels that continue in centuries after this!!

This book (and the entire Velvet series) was written in the 80's, but I've just stumbled across it. I started with the 3rd book (Velvet Song) and my interest was piqued - I bought the other 3 to see how all the Montgomery brothers ended up. This one is a real keeper, a great love story. Judith and Gavin are right pig headed at times - and he does hit her early on, so if that bothers you (and it does me) be warned. However, the story is so well-written, the characters are so interesting. You understand the appeal, for instance, of Raine Montgomery in this book (it's not so clear in "his" book, Velvet Song - he's a sour guy in that one). The villians are great in this book, the heroes strong - what more could you want. I'm half way through Highland Velvet (Stephen's book) and it's just as good as this one!

WARNING!!! This book contains triggers!
This is not the first book I have read by this author, but it will be the last.
I deleted it from my kindle about half way through.
Please understand that I have a sister who was married to a man who "spanked" her any time she did something he didn't like.
He never used his fists, just his open hand, to " correct her behavior."
I do not expect nor want to read about abuse in a romance novel.
And if Jude Deveraux is in fact a women, she needs to realize that most women I know do NOT Think about sex after having been hurt by a man who is scolding them for behavior they feel is wrong, or injures their pride. The women I know feel confusion, anger and shame.
This book was not an entertaining read, and was not worth the 7.99$

I love the Montgomery family. The love, the wit, the dialog between these siblings and the women they choose to love in any other books. Each Montgomery is so unique - and each story so different. This book had everything you need to create a good romance: a dashing hero, a beautiful heroine, a person who always seems to interfere with the hero and heroine, and, most of all...PASSION!The relationship between the leads is endearing. The secondary characters are enjoyable as well. The interaction between the leads was great. They really enjoyed smarting off to each other because they did not like a lot about each other in the beginning. But their disagreements were often very funny. This was a very entertaining book. I didn't like Gavin at first but as the book went on I fell in love with him. He stop being a bone head. LOL This book was a pleasure to read and I couldn't put it down until it was finished. I really enjoyed the characters, as they were very likeable. YOU MUST HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR to enjoy this book.

This was my second I read from Jude Deveraux, and this one got me totally hooked, not only does she not let us down for the beautiful Montgomery men, but she gave us a true hero in this story, Judith. Without her Gavin would of been lost. I totally agree he was a selfish pig of a man, but typical man for that century, where men rule and do what they please, and Mrs Deveraux showed us the also ugly side of some of those times, such as arrange marriages and rape, but what made this story beautiful is Gavin HAS a consience and he did feel bad for what he did and not always his best judgement he tried his best.

This is the begin of 4 amazing books of the Velvet series, Gavin being the eldest brother of 4 (My favorite is still Rayne though!)

Enjoy this book as much as i did

THE VELVET PROMISE by Jude Deveraux is the introduction to the four Montgomery brothers which will live for years in the hearts of fans. There are few surprises to Ms. Deveraux romances, but that isn't necessary for a great story line.
Gavin Montgomery is in love with another woman, but the prospect of lands and a fortune draw him into an arranged marriage with Judith Revedoune. The marriage has little chance of success when Judith observes him kissing his long time mistress on the eve of their wedding.
Nash Black, author of WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and HAINTS.
Qualifying LapsSins of the Fathers

Judith Revedoune has lived a sheltered life. Bearing the weight of her father's hatred for being born a female, she was raised by her mother away from the public eye, and prepared her for a life in a convent. But when her two brothers died, her father turned his attention to the daughter whose existence he barely acknowledged, and ordered her to marry so she could produce the heirs he so desired. When she refused, he broke her mother's arm in front of her and made further threats unless she complied. Fearing for her mother's life, Judith was left with no other choice but to marry the man chosen by her cruel father.

Gavin Montgomery was only sixteen when he and his brothers were orphaned. Being the eldest, he managed the Montgomery estate and has been the lord and protector of his brothers and people for over a decade. When Robert Revedoune offered his daughter's hand in marriage, the Montgomerys knew it would be a good match for Robert's daughter comes with a very large dowry, which would immensely help the Montgomerys financially. But Gavin had already given his heart to Alice Valence, a woman whose coldness is apparent to everyone but Gavin himself. A woman whom Gavin has put upon a pedestal.

When Gavin learns that Alice is to marry a wealthy earl, he is heartbroken but still falls for Alice's treachery, believing that her father forced her to marry the old earl, not knowing that it was Alice herself who chose the earl in the hope of advancing her current position. So Gavin reluctantly agrees to Revedoune's offer and accepts Judith for his wife. Come the wedding day, everyone rejoiced but nobody was more shocked and delighted than the bride and groom. Both were mesmerized by each other's looks and actually looked forward to getting to know each other better... then entered Alice. With her crocodile tears and feigned heartbreak, she took advantage of Gavin's love for her and made him vow to love her regardless of whom they're with. Locked in a passionate embrace, Judith witnessed everything, and hurt by the truth, she vowed to never let her husband rule her heart.

THE VELVET PROMISE is the first book in the Velvet Quartet featuring the Montgomery brothers. Featuring a great storyline and well-drawn characters, I enjoyed reading the book and learning about the characters. Judith is well educated, kindhearted and unaware of her beauty. I liked how she wove her magic net around Gavin's brothers and his people, not so much by her beauty, but by her kindness and intelligence. I enjoyed how her brothers-in-law became her biggest admirers and protectors, the way they stood up for her and berate Gavin for his foolishness in vowing eternal love for Alice are some of the best part in the story. There were actually moments when I wished that someone would just give Gavin a big whack in the head for his stupidity, and at times I wished that Judith married Raine instead of him. But for all his foolishness, Gavin made me laugh sometimes. The way he got jealous over the way his brother fawned over Judith, or his shock over the way she seemed to be able to manage his estate better than him was fun to see.

Although there are a couple of subplots that I could have done without, this is a nice introduction to the Montgomery brothers. There is enough sensuality to keep the pages burning, and you will enjoy seeing the villains meet justice. Best of all, the author has done well in depicting Stephen, Raine and Miles, which left me wanting to read their own stories.

The other books in the series are HIGHLAND VELVET, VELVET SONG and VELVET ANGEL.

As my review title suggests, I did enjoy reading Jude Deveraux's "The Velvet Promise," primarily because I admire and appreciate her heroine Judith Revedoune Montgomery's character. Judith's qualities of intelligence, ingenuity, courage, inner strength, her loving, kind heart and unselfish nature make her truly admirable. Judith, however, is far from perfect. She has her flaws, as all people do. And these flaws, along with her many excellent traits, form a very believable young woman. I wish I could say that Ms. Deveraux is consistent in her character development, but she is not. The characters of her hero, Gavin Montgomery, and his lover, Alice Valence, are so flat they are almost caricatures. I found that these distorted, comic-book-like figures, intruded and impeded my enjoyment of the novel.
Wealthy heiress, Judith Revedoune, is forced by her brutal and abusive father to agree to marry Gavin Montgomery. Judith was raised to enter a convent and become a prioress; ruling lands, estates, villages, and knights. Her two elder brothers have recently died, and now she is the only heir. Her father desperately wants grandsons and the continuation of his bloodline. The Montgomery family is an old and noble one, dating back to the Norman conquest. The Montgomery brothers, led by Gavin, also offer protection from the Scots for the Revedoune borderlands.
Gavin Montgomery, at first glance, would seem all that a maid could ask for in a mate. Yes, he is a handsome hunk - aren't they all? He is intelligent, in the I.Q., "left side of the brain" sense of the word, knightly, of noble birth, bearing, and sensibilities, and has assumed responsibility for his entire family since his parents' deaths when he was sixteen years old. He is also wildly infatuated with the obviously sociopathic Alice Valence, and has been her lover, and blind to her fatal faults, for two years when the story begins. He believes that Alice was a virgin when they were first "together." Meanwhile, she had been sleeping around since her early teens. (Sorry for the cattiness - I got carried away by our hero's stupidity!). Anyway, Gavin is truly, madly, deeply, etc. He has proposed marriage many, many times and Alice has always put him off with excuses - which he always accepted. She desires social position and wealth, which Gavin does not have, but she also wants Gavin's undying and exclusive devotion. She finally tells him that her father has insisted she marry a wealthy earl, and persuades him not to go to her father and pay a handsome bride price for his own suite. No one, except a green boy would believe this nonsense, without the slightest suspicion. What we have here is a naive hero, with tunnel vision, who is a poor judge of character, and stubborn to the extreme.
Alice is a woman so obviously evil, and demented, that even though the Montgomery brothers warn Gavin about her, he remains oblivious. Alice is another cardboard character, whose flatness really unbalances the entire novel. The author has portrayed her without any redeeming characteristics whatsoever. There is no real background material to explain why she has developed into such a despicable wretch.
Our hero and heroine meet on their wedding day. Gavin is surprised by Judith's unusual beauty, and dignified manner. She is taken by Gavin's gallant behavior, and thinks there may be hope for her marriage. Then she witnesses Gavin kissing Alice, and declaring his undying love for her, in the garden during the wedding feast. Judith has a bit of a declaration of her own. She vows to Gavin that she will never give herself to him freely. Thus, with this auspicious event, we have the main storyline - which gets tiresome, in spite of a few interesting subplots that Ms. Deveraux has devised. She does attempt to redeem Gavin at the book's conclusion, but by this time, he has become such a cartoon figure that it is difficult to blame or forgive him.
I am also disappointed with Jude Deveraux's portrayal of historic figures and lack of adherence to historical detail. She shallowly depicts England's King Henry VII and his Queen Elizabeth as a loving, happy couple, which history disputes. They chat and gossip together like old chums, a veritable "Harry" & "Liz." Their anachronistic behavior was extremely distracting for me. There is little detail of court intrigues and politics, so very prevalent at this time - and at all times. After reading this novel, one is left with the idea that the English court had little to do except gossip about love affairs, and petty, personal intrigues.
I will attempt to read book two in the series. I liked what I read of Stephen Montgomery, Gavin's brother and the main character in "Highland Velvet." This was my first Jude Deveraux novel, and I must say that "The Velvet Promise" was a disappointment for me, and certainly not up to what I expected from this well-known author.
JANA

Where to begin... I love Jude Deveraux, I think her stories are wronderful and I always grow to love her characters. There are always exeptions though, And The Velvet Promise was a depressing, violent tale which actually made me throw the book accross the room after I finished it-This was how angry I was. I LOATHED the hero, Gavin, with a passion. Judith, dear, you are a doormat. I am suprised that she put up with some of the stuff Gavin dished out. Since when is rape a marital right? Someone answer that please? And it is called family loyality, Gavin you should really try it. If you want a read that will make you want to scream with fustration then this is the book for you.

The Velvet Promise is the story of a marriage between strangers who, despite the way they fight it, fall in love. It's a common premise for historical romance novels but there are some things I really loved about this one.

For starters, the growth of the hero, Gavin Montgomery. It's difficult to put into words to adoration that I, as a reader, came to feel for Gavin, myself. In short, he is not necessarily kind to Judith in the beginning. Many heroes are not. As the story progresses, Gavin begins to regret the way he has treated his wife, and still sometimes treats his wife as he's trying to fight his growing love for her. In some novels, the characters do not change, do not grow, see nothing wrong in treating one another horribly until the very last page and the readers are supposed to believe that some sort of love has developed. It's really quite frustrating. What was refreshing, was to gradually see Gavin's feelings for Judith change him.

Another thing was the other three Montgomery brothers, Raine, Miles, and Stephen. I loved how they were so protective and friendly towards Judith, often making Gavin realize he was behaving like a horse's arse. But Jude Deveraux showed just enough of each brother that I cannot wait to obtain the next 3 books in this series.

And lastly, there was the character that you love to hate. The woman Gavin believed himself to be in love with, Alice Valence. Alice was a selfish, superficial, masochistic, manipulative brat who never wanted a thing unless she could not have it. She was also an immature, delusional hypocrite...but those things are not surprising considering that she is completely out of her mind by the end of the novel, if not the entire time. And not even that fact made me feel sympathy for her.

So I give this book 5 stars as I rush off to buy the next of the series.

Lucky! That's what I considered myself for reading "Promise" first. I fell in love with the Montgomery brothers from the beginning. I wanted to know them all, from first to last. This book made me Devereaux fan, and I have been devoted since I read this book 13 years ago. Once you read one, you will be an addict-- a happy one. Her books are not only fun and informative, but also sensual and exciting. She creates characters that are real, but can also mess up--people that are fun to know. I read Everything J.D. writes--she makes me laugh out loud and cry big tears. I LOVE THESE BOOKS!

I actually read this book after I read "Highland Velvet" and it was the start of my addiction to Historical Romances when I was a teenager LOL. At the time this book was written it was the "norm" for the Hero to be a brute to the Heroine. I fell in love with Judith she was smart, strong and beautiful. I didn't think Gavin deserved her at all but still I loved the way Jude brought this all together.
If readers can keep in mind the time that this book was written I think they will enjoy it for what it is. A classic Deveraux

Jude Deveraux writes a beautiful tale of love, desire and intrigue. And this is only the first book in the Velvet series! I loved the characters, they reminded me of my friends. I don't know how many times I read this series but I always come back to it. Perhaps it's Deveraux's ability to write a story that makes the reader feel for the characters, make them laugh and cry. Whatever the reason, this book is an excellent read. And I recommend the rest of the books in the Velvet series, too!

I heard some great things about Jude Deveraux, but I am not impressed by Velvet Promise.
Let me just paraphrase this story: the heroine, Judith, is forced to marry Gavin. On their wedding day, she spies him confessing love to another woman and saying Judith means nothing to him. When she calls him on it, he slaps her and then rapes her on their wedding night.
I realize this is a medeival romance, but there is absolutely nothing romantic about rape. Especially in the context the book put it in. The "hero" was angry at being caught and called on his actions by his new wife, and he rapes her in anger with the express purpose of hurting her and showing her that he can do anything he likes with her and she has no say in things. Simply put, it was a power play. No one deserves the title "hero" who will use his size to hurt someone smaller than him.
While Deveraux is a popular writer, she doesn't do anything for me and I don't think she holds a candle to writers like Mary Jo Putney, Lisa Kleypas, Lynn Kurland or Karyn Monk. It was all I could do to finish this one.

Gavin Montgomery is deeply in love with Alice, a young, impoverished lady from a neighboring estate. Alice's father rejects Gavin as a suitor and then promises her to another man. Devastated that his lover will be marrying someone else, Gavin succumbs to pressure from his family and decides to marry an heiress whose lands border his to the north.

Forced by her brute of a father to accept a betrothal to Gavin, Judith Revedoune is distraught over her fate. Her mother raised her to be a nun and she'd had no idea she would ever marry. Things look up, though, when she meets Gavin at their wedding ceremony. They seem to have instant chemistry and it seems that maybe marriage won't be so bad. Until, that is, she overhears Gavin swearing his undying love to Alice in the Garden during their wedding feast.

Jude Deveraux's books are really hit-and-miss for me. I've liked some of them, and I've really hated others. It had been quite a while since I read anything of hers, but I followed a listmania list and ended up buying a few titles in the "Velvet" series and was not impressed with any of them.

Judith is a so-so heroine. She's got the barebones of a heroine you'd enjoy, but she does some really dumb things and then rants about how she doesn't have to answer to anyone and then she readily participates in the "big misunderstanding" by acting like a spoiled child. Sure she was independent, and all of those tough heroine things, but the way her independent spirit was written made her seem bratty and petulant.

Gavin was an unintelligent jerk. He was one of those wholly selfish beings who is incapable of seeing the world from anything but his own point of view. At first when the author introduced this as a trait of one of the psychotic villains I thought she would use it to teach Gavin a lesson about himself, but self-awareness was a little too much to hope for, from the author and the hero.

If life isn't going Gavin's way, he lashes out at anyone around him. The new wife doesn't accept him just the way he is, so he smacks her one. She doesn't want to sleep with him? He'll just rape her. And so it goes, on and on. She saves him from the villain, but he'll believe everything the villain says about the naughty things she's done. Don't be mislead, he's not an alpha hero, he's a megalomaniacal tyrant. I hate him, he has no redeeming qualities.

"The Velvet Promise" is a velvet mess. The "other woman" is one of the most over-the-top slut/whore characters I've ever seen, but this isn't really a campy story, so she just doesn't fit here. We're supposed to hate one and love the other, but I find both of Judith's parents unlikable: her father for being a neanderthal, and her mother for being a reactionary shrew. There's just no one to like in this book, because the villains are as one dimensionally awful as the author wants them to be and the heroes are so self-centered and stupid that you almost wish everyone would just die of the plague.

The story is cohesive and almost interesting, but the characters suck. I give this book one star. Don't waste your money or your time.

I have mixed feelings about this book. The "hero" and I do use that term loosely is a selfish jerk that I could not find much to like about. The descriptions of surrounding and clothing were overdone as was "the other woman". Small spoiler alert: the evil other woman kills the heroines unborn child and still the "hero" doesn't see the wretched woman for who she is. This book could have been so much better, but it fell short. Too much "evil other woman" and to little sweet moments between the main couple. However, I was able to get through the book and liked the heroine quite a lot so I have the book 3 stars.

A very sweet & sour romance !
the heroine Judith is a real woman, she's sweet as long as Gavin is & sour if Gavin gets nasty
There's is an arranged marriage where none has seen the other, & Gavin is in love with the villan of the story, Alice, who's a true u-know-what !
When they c each other on their wedding day they r both stunned by their attraction towards each other & Judith starts dreaming about her happy life but no sooner has the day ended that she hears Gavin professing his undying love to Alice who tricks him by saying that she'll take her own life, from that moment the fight of wills & love begins
the story also describes Gavin three other brothers who make the story much more interesting
This one is the first of the four series of these brothers, i have yet to read the other three but i can bet they'll be as good as this one
hope u enjoy reading it as much as i did !

If you can get yourself through the abuse both verbal and physical and of course rape than you stand a chance at a story with so much misunderstanding that will make your head spin. I gave it a 3 star rating because it did hold my interest and I believe was well written although I detested much of the harshness. Glad I didn't pay for it either.

I thought the premise of this novel was interesting: The husband is in love with another woman who is using him, but he marries for money, to a woman who is forced into the marriage by her abusive father. It's not your typical premise.

However, I got as far as the scene where the husband rapes his wife on their wedding night, started to cry, and closed the book. Intimate partner rape is a real life issue that devastates people's lives, not a technique of erotica.

I have read The Velvet promise, Highland Velvet, Velvet Song,and Velvet Angel and had not one complaint with any of them! If you have read one you must read them all! Each book links to each other to explain the life, and love,of the four brothers.Velvet Angel wich I have just finished reading is the climactic ending to end all four books. Read them all you wont be let down!

When I first started reading romance novels, this series was one of my favorites. Possibly, it was also a forerunner for series about brothers.

Strangely, the first is the one I liked the least because, to this day, I can remember wanting to give the hero a swift kick.

I thought the premise of this novel was interesting: The husband is in love with another woman who is using him, but he marries for money, to a woman who is forced into the marriage by her abusive father. It's not your typical premise.

However, I got as far as the scene where the husband rapes his wife on their wedding night, started to cry, and closed the book. Intimate partner rape is a real life issue that devastates people's lives, not a technique of erotica.

I have read The Velvet promise, Highland Velvet, Velvet Song,and Velvet Angel and had not one complaint with any of them! If you have read one you must read them all! Each book links to each other to explain the life, and love,of the four brothers.Velvet Angel wich I have just finished reading is the climactic ending to end all four books. Read them all you wont be let down!

When I first started reading romance novels, this series was one of my favorites. Possibly, it was also a forerunner for series about brothers.

Strangely, the first is the one I liked the least because, to this day, I can remember wanting to give the hero a swift kick.

This was my first Jude Deveraux Book and I really enjoyed it very much, I loved the story, the heroine was spirited and the hero mad, and their interaction was an explosive mix of romance and humour. Its the first of a quartet, and its followed by Highland Velvet, Velvet Song, and Velvet Angel.I hope they will be just as good.

Plenty of emotion-evoking characters and a decent plot. I found myself annoyed with the main characters often, but their sex was hot enough to keep me reading. Seriously, though, what couple gets off simultaneously every single time?!

I liked this book and the characters, excluding Alice. Judith was smart, funny, and beautiful. Gavin did not deserve her though. I did not like his harsh ways of dealing with her. Everything she says to him, he takes it the wrong way and uses it against her. He even believes Walter's word over hers. I liked Stephan, Raine and Miles much better. They all liked her for who she was and not for what they wanted her to be. She would have been better off with one of them.

a confusing concoction, comprised of detailed descriptions of silk and velvet garments trimmed with the fur of a variety of rodents, interspersed with scenes of rape, torture, beatings and unrequieted love enacted by characters whose motivation and actions are just plain Out There. Back to the library it goes. Fast.

I absolutly loved this series. All the characters were so vibrant and realistic it was hard not to fall in love with them. No one wants to read about a character who is boring and plain, this is why I love Jude Deveraux. She never lets you down.

Good detail into the period she was writing about but not a great story - I was given the Velvet Angel (book 4) almost 30 years ago and enjoyed it, finally got around to reading the rest of the series. I don't know if it's because I'm older or if times have changed enough to make these kinds of storylines unattractive, but I didn't really enjoy any of them although individually, I liked the characters. Storyline - Strongwilled women ends up with strongwilled man -woman is treated very poorly whenever she expresses an opinion or acts without male's consent - works to forgive him anyway - man eventually realizes he's been a bit of an ass - live happily ever after. meh.