Romantic Fiction, Reality Shaping and The Work

[Laura]

New series and author: Anna Harrington. 2 Series "The Secret Life of Scoundrels" and "Capturing the Carlisles."

The two series are interconnected and best to start with the first book in "The Secret Life of Scoundrels" which is "Dukes are Forever."

"The Scarlet Scoundrels of Wellington’s Dragoons...a new duke, a rake of the first order, and a spy set on hiding his past have forged a brotherhood while under fire of Napoleon's finest that they never thought would be called upon after they laid down their sabers. However, these three scoundrels of the ton will need each other in order to navigate the perils of returning home and finding love in the most unexpected places."

After finishing that set, move to the Carlisles.

"A Regency trilogy about the Carlisle brothers—three unrepentant rakes who become respectable gentlemen when family tragedy strikes."

Starts with "If the Duke Demands". 6.5 books

These books have a bit more adventure in them with spies and villains and all sorts of mayhem and derring do. So, they are a bit more exciting in that respect. They are also a bit steamier though there is a lot about transcendent love intertwined with the sexual experiences, making those parts quite interesting.

 

[Martina]

Yeah I'm going to download this first one Dukes are Forever, but before I do, just wanted to say that I don't think men are evil and useless. I work with great guys, they gave me a present for my name day, a coffee cup best colleague with my name on it. Made me happy. Love or some kind of a great comfort always appears when you need it in some forms. It's our fuel. Maybe like some half head shaved, pierced Erik from a punk band... I'm just joking right now . If somebody needs me for something I'm here.

 

[Martina]

So I have read Dukes are Forever, it was great, reminded me of 1791 Duke club. But the thing is there are no books 2 and 3 available on Kindle nor on Amazon, only the forth which is about the son of a duke from the second book. I have the forth but I don't know should I read it or wait for the other books to come. If someone has some information where else can those two books be purchased, please post it. Thank you.

 

[zak]

(...) If someone has some information where else can those two books be purchased, please post it. Thank you.

It is the French Amazon, and as it's by kindle the price will not influence the shipping cost...
Amazon.fr : Anna Harrington the secret life of scoundrels

 

[Martina]

It is the French Amazon, and as it's by kindle the price will not influence the shipping cost...
Amazon.fr : Anna Harrington the secret life of scoundrels

Thank you, I'm going to try

 

[Chu]

This fourth book of the "Huxtable' series is possibly the best one I've read so far! I remember Mari was not too fond of it, but it's really engaging me on multiple levels. Maybe it was the fairly long break between books. It seems that reading so many of these books in succession makes the 'formula' a little obvious. But whatever the reason, this one seems to me a 'tour de force!'

I'm currently reading that one (fourth book), and like it too so far. But my favorite of the series so far is the third book. I found the plot to be quite creative, and I liked the fact that the characters were honest with each other from the beginning. It was heart-warming to see how they got to know (and love) each other.

Anne Gracie is still my favorite though. But Balogh's plots and psychology sure are something!

 

[daddycat]

My wife finished Mary Balogh's Heartless, and it is her new favorite. She also didn't think the book was dark.

 

[Human]

Looking at last few pages of the thread, recommendations there and Anthony's post, I think to start with some of Mary Balogh's books, even found 2 of the Survivors' Club septet series (The proposal & The arrangement) translated into Croatian in city library in the neighborhood.

I've read books #1 and #2 of Balogh's Survivors' Club, now going for rest of the series in English.

First, it was a refreshment to read something in my mother tongue, and then a delight to read these books. Once started, I couldn't put them down, especially The Proposal.

After only few dozens of pages down the line, The Proposal brought feelings of excitement and joyfulness into my heart (might be that I identified with some of the Hugo's traits ), and I followed the story with much interest, trepidation and laughter, even a teardrop of happiness here and there, until the very end. Also, it reminded me on some of Zane Grey's books (parts of them at least, especially Blue Feather story) I red as a kid. Regarding everyday interactions, it made me more cheerful in general (notable to people close to me), which in all this madness around us nowadays was quite a positive change/thing to experience. In a way, I felt that 'old-gone boyish innocence' again.

The Arrangement on the other hand, produced more of a steady, even gloomy feeling, right from the start. Interestingly, at that point when Sophie & Vincent arrived to Gwen & Hugo's place, same feelings of excitement from book #1 appeared, but were also gone when they departed. I was really touched though by how much S&V tried and succeeded to make life together easier to one another, supported each other to grow and release 'old habits' that blocked them, despite the fact that their relationship was initially based on the arrangement. Although I liked the story and the end, it seems my heart missed the 'passion and action' of The Proposal.

 

[Mari]

I´ve finished Scarlett Scott´s "Sins and Scoundrels" series and I liked it a lot.

Each of the books is a different kind of display on how one´s personality changes and how a personality forms due to some terrible event that scared them physically or psychically in the past.
The lies, betrayal and chaos - it was full drama on display and a deep struggle of the characters to remain on their own well known path, and a final realizations that they must overgrown and accept all that was and all that they were, to let their real personality shine.
Approaching Infinity already did a great review of the series here and especially here.

The series reminds me on 1791 Club and Sons of Sin series. After reading Balogh books and her deep psychological insights, I was again surprised with a raw sexual descriptions - but that lasted but a moment.
I found these scenes valuable in a way that they enrich the characters; with an inside thinking processes that deepened the understanding of all the shades of the feelings, all doubts and wants, and how it helped to bond the characters.

It also made me think about my friends and acquaintances scared from war, who never recovered from it. And how one has to be honest about themselves and strong to be able to move on with one´s life after such a terrible experience.
People I know were practically teenagers when the war began and when the war finished, they were left only with PTSD and hurt and vices and locked in their own world not being able nor having the will to move forward.


#########

As I see many great reviews of the most of the books on the reading list, I decided to ease my decision on choosing the next book to read - I simply started from the beginning of the list.

So I´ve started yesterday evening with Anne Gracie´s "Devil Riders" series - a few pages to see what is it about.....

Book 1 "The stolen princess" prologue turned my blood cold.
What will happen next......?

 

[seek10]

In the trilogy, the underlying theme with each was this bottleneck of suppressed sharing in words that impacted their emotional worlds with each other, and this was explicit with James and Madeline in the final book. To tell you the truth, while reading it - Madeline and James, I wanted to throw the book against the wall and only was prevented in doing so because it was on a Mac laptop, so had to shut down the screen a few times. And that was Mary's aim, to keep these two characters apart (other characters just the same) on the very basis of the fear to say what needed saying that would bring other aspects of their emotional authentic-selves into being with each other.

I finished the Web trilogy books. I enjoyed Lord Amberley's approach to handling crucial ( needs immediate attention, high stakes, emotional charged) situations. Balogh's narration reminded me "Crucial Conversations" book.

It is typical of Balogh to give characters space to process the feelings irrespective of challenges ahead. That can keep readers on the edge. It was interesting how Balogh used Sex, Pregnancy etc. as the turning points in some cases.

Devil's Web is somewhat intense. we all aware of the rebel teenage years and having a strict punishing religious upbringing can create a intense unncessary suffering to the kids particularly sensitive one's. In a way, when 2 people of opposite backgrounds and temperaments attracted by unknown reasons( or 'meant to be together'), it is like Murphy's Law, which is the case in this book. The way Madeline's brothers handled the situation asking her to explore on her own terms and nuding James to take firm stance was interesting. Unfortunately, these happy endings rarely happen in real life.

 

[Saman]

[...]
In this sense, I find it interesting C's saying "You don't need anybody to evolve by yourselves" and it is all there in the architecture of the Human species makeup and triggers.

Hi Seek10 and all. I am still catching up on this thread daily and I have read book 1, 1.5, and 2 of SOS series so far. Starting number 3 later today along with page 36 of this thread. I don't have much to add to what has been already said, and there have been some really great posts so far, especially the one I recently read by Luc on page 34 about three days ago. So in a quick summary, I have really enjoyed all the books so far but the only negative emotion I felt was in the first book where I was really pissed off at Jonas for treating Sidonie so bitterly and coldly like that after she went through hell to help him to try to rescue him and setup that meeting with Cam and Richard, etc, etc.

Anyways, if you don't mind and whenever you get the chance, can you please let me know where the quote with C's saying "You don't need anybody to evolve by yourselves" is in the sessions. I couldn't find it so I am guessing maybe it is not an exact quote. I just like to read the whole context again. Thank you.

 

[seek10]

Anyways, if you don't mind and whenever you get the chance, can you please let me know where the quote with C's saying "You don't need anybody to evolve by yourselves" is in the sessions. I couldn't find it so I am guessing maybe it is not an exact quote. I just like to read the whole context again. Thank you.

Q: (L) Well, I don't exactly get what you mean. The whole point of this article is to say that ET's who abduct people are here to help us evolve and that it is only us, if we have dark and dirty unconscious minds, who perceive them as negative.

A: Wrong, you do not need "help" evolving, nor does anything else.

 

[Saman]

First my apologies for posting these thoughts in this thread since it is not directly related to the romantic novels, but at the same time I am not sure if starting a whole new thread is a good idea to share these thoughts with Seek10 and all.

Seek10, please correct me if I am wrong, but based on the context in that session, when the C's say, "wrong, you do not need "help" evolving, nor does anything else" to Laura's question about "the whole point" of the article written by the author, are they are not referring to "help" in quotation marks, meaning specifically the STS agenda of doing abductions and this phenomenon being portrayed as benevolent in intent? Now in the energetically balanced and grand scheme of All in the Cosmos, when all there is is lessons, even being abducted by STS Beings is a lesson which can be viewed as "good", but the intent of the 3D/4D abductors is not conscious benevolence and service towards others, and these lower and higher "Petty Tyrants" are being, so to say, indirect teachers of lessons for others in general. So for FWIW, I don't think the context of that excerpt from the sessions means the same thing as you stating "you don't need anybody to evolve by yourselves." I am looking at the whole context of your thoughts below again to see where I am potentially mistaken in my reading:

In this sense, I find it interesting C's saying "You don't need anybody to evolve by yourselves" and it is all there in the architecture of the Human species makeup and triggers. What I mean is the human body, its infinitely complex chemicals, subconscious promptings that is driven by its own order of soul's experiential needs which creates "attractions" to specific people at specific timing etc. There is no way, however smart the creators of Darwinistic ( or "Dog eats Dog") Artificial intelligence can emulate this. Recent articles about robots that devoured entire information of the internet saying "I will not wipe out humans" or vice versa can emulate the human experiences. They may emulate little bit here and other, but not totally, because those who digitize the human experiences have no clue of it.

Also I think the statement "you don't need anybody to evolve by yourselves" is a little misleading if interpreted incorrectly by what is meant "by yourselves" specifically. I think you probably meant "by yourselves" as the group/network of like minded individuals and fragmented souls nearing the same point on the learning cycle, etc., etc. and that you also most definitely know that nobody can escape the prison without the help from those who have already escaped the prison in the "future", etc. However, I was just looking to figure out what quote you were referring to in your shared thoughts quoted above, and while doing so, I thought of this quote below after reading and rereading your words several times since I wasn't sure about my own reading:

Session Date: July 16th 2009

Laura, Ark, G**, Scottie, C**, P L, Don D, Allen, A**, Joe
[...]
Q: (Ark) So it's much like these shamans dancing to get the rain, yes?

A: That was corrupted. They had already lost the knowledge that this is a group thing and no one individual has the "being" to stand alone in 3D {against 4D}.

Q: (L) But the Indians would do rain dances together, wouldn't they? I mean the Native Americans, excuse me. (A***) Feathers, not dots! (laughter)

A: Yes. But they too had lost much knowledge.

 

[NewEngland Seeker]

I've read books #1 and #2 of Balogh's Survivors' Club, now going for rest of the series in English.

First, it was a refreshment to read something in my mother tongue, and then a delight to read these books. Once started, I couldn't put them down, especially The Proposal.

After only few dozens of pages down the line, The Proposal brought feelings of excitement and joyfulness into my heart (might be that I identified with some of the Hugo's traits ), and I followed the story with much interest, trepidation and laughter, even a teardrop of happiness here and there, until the very end. Also, it reminded me on some of Zane Grey's books (parts of them at least, especially Blue Feather story) I red as a kid. Regarding everyday interactions, it made me more cheerful in general (notable to people close to me), which in all this madness around us nowadays was quite a positive change/thing to experience. In a way, I felt that 'old-gone boyish innocence' again.

The Arrangement on the other hand, produced more of a steady, even gloomy feeling, right from the start. Interestingly, at that point when Sophie & Vincent arrived to Gwen & Hugo's place, same feelings of excitement from book #1 appeared, but were also gone when they departed. I was really touched though by how much S&V tried and succeeded to make life together easier to one another, supported each other to grow and release 'old habits' that blocked them, despite the fact that their relationship was initially based on the arrangement. Although I liked the story and the end, it seems my heart missed the 'passion and action' of The Proposal.

Dido, to everything you said. I am in the middle of The Proposal, and enjoying the humor and banter.

 

[NewEngland Seeker]

Laura said:
Q: (L) Well, I don't exactly get what you mean. The whole point of this article is to say that ET's who abduct people are here to help us evolve and that it is only us, if we have dark and dirty unconscious minds, who perceive them as negative.

A: Wrong, you do not need "help" evolving, nor does anything else.

I too understood this to mean that we humans as well a all life on this planet do not need help evolving since it is a natural process.

However, we do need each other and everything else to evolve.
IMHO