Candace Irvin - Judith Ivory
Irvin, Candace - FOR HIS EYES ONLY (Silh. Int. Moments 936 - 6/99) (4)
Naval officer Lt. Jade Parker is annoyed to be put on
"baby-sitter duty" when an actor wants to spend a few weeks aboard her ship preparing for a movie role. Even if he does have a body to die for. But Reese isn't what he seems; he has other reasons for being aboard the USS Baddager, and his pose as a dumb actor will get him the information he needs. Although Reese begins to trust and respect Jade, he isn't sure if he can tell her the truth about his real mission, or overcome his distrust
of Navy life and Naval officers.
Reading FOR HIS EYES ONLY was like stepping into another world. According to her biography blurb, Candace Irvin is a former Naval Lieutenant herself. It shows. This story is full of details about life aboard a Naval warship, from the firefighting drills to the attitudes and interactions of the crew. The author has also created a very appealing heroine. Jade is smart and confident and real, and most importantly, she never turns into a marshmallow when she interacts with the hero. The sizzling sexual tension between the hero and heroine is one of the highlights of the book, but it's clear that the characters like and respect each other and aren't just attracted in the physical sense. FOR HIS EYES ONLY is an enjoyable and exciting read that kept me turning the pages; a great debut by a promising new author. ~Karen Wheless for Bookbug on the Web
Ivory, Judith - PROPOSITION, THE (Avon - 12/99) (4+)
Setting: Victorian England
Judith Ivory, an incomparable author for the unusual, drastic situation, does it again with THE PROPOSITION. Ms. Ivory has tweaked the cheeks of the time-honored tale of Pygmalion and has run laughing all the way into the bedroom.
Mick Tremore, top-notch rat catcher, agrees to be made over by Lady Edwina Bollash, a well-known linguist. The Lamont twins, who love a wager over all else, have proposed to finance this venture if Mick can pass for a viscount at the Duke of Arles' ball. Edwina needs the money, and Mick would like to improve his life as well as spend more time with the lovely lady. While she is showing Mick how to talk, act, and behave like a nobleman, he shows Edwina the sensual side of her nature, which she never even suspected she had. Both turn out to be very quick learners!
Surprises abound in this story. No one, down to the most minor character, turns out as expected. How can a rat catcher from Cornwall find a happy-ever-after with a gentle lady? The genius of Judith Ivory has you chuckling over all the improbable situations that occur when Mick tries to turn his life around and Edwina has to cope with his forthright speech, his frank behavior, and his pet ferret. THE PROPOSITION is a definite winner! ~Vicki Patterson for Bookbug on the Web
Ivory, Judith - SLEEPING BEAUTY (Avon - 1998) (4+)
This beautifully written romance is set mainly in Victorian England. It features a marvelous hero, a heroine with more experience than the hero (always a nice change!), and what I thought was a pretty interesting background (some of it fictional, of course) about Cambridge University and the late nineteenth-century European exploitation of Africa. While it still contains a bit more character introspection than I usually like, I found the characters much more consistently drawn than in past books by Ivory (a.k.a. Judy Cuevas). I would have liked knowing more about the crooked financial scheming, with less of the main characters' thoughts and analyses, but that's just quibbling. Overall, I found the story far more romantic than anything I've read by Ivory/Cuevas in the past—or any romance I've read in quite a while! ~Elena P.
NEXT PAGE
Background provided by Judi's Doodlings
Copyright © 1997-1999 Bookbug on the Web