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Madeline Hunter

Ravishing in Red (Thorndike Core) Hardcover – Large Print, July 7, 2010

by Madeline Hunter (Author)

170 ratings

Book 1 of 4: The Rarest Blooms

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While trying to restore her family's honor, Audrianna Kelmsleigh becomes immersed in scandal with Lord Sebastian Summerhays, one of her father's persecutors, and is forced into a marriage of necessity with a man she despises, but cannot resist. (Romance).

Print length

458 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Thorndike Press
Publication date

July 7, 2010
Dimensions

6 x 1 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

1410427714
ISBN-13

978-1410427717
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thorndike Press; Large Print edition (July 7, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 458 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1410427714
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1410427717
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.35 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #6,792,169 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #41,715 in Regency Romances
- #356,340 in American Literature (Books)

Customer Reviews:
170 ratings

About the author

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Madeline Hunter

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I am a published novelist, a mother and wife, an art historian and a teacher. My first historical romance was published in 2000 and my bibliography shows the list of books since then. My books have been on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, USAToday, and Publishers Weekly (where I have also had three starred reviews.) I have won the RITA award twice and been a finalist seven times. My novels combine strong romances between layered and complex characters with plots that include mysteries or intrigues.

Customer reviews

5 star		57%
4 star		28%
3 star		10%
2 star		3%
1 star		3%

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Amazon Customer

Not a fan.

Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2017

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After reading the first chapter, I thought I was really going to enjoy this book. However, it felt like there was a different writer after that. The book slowed to a crawl. The characters which seemed fiery and exciting became dull and boring. What I thought would be an interesting plot, turned to disappointment. There were two many insignificant interactions with other characters that add nothing of depth to the story. I don't need page upon page of mundane conversations the main characters have with friends harping on how they feel. What about the song Audrianna wrote at the end and shared with her friends? It went no where. What was the point? To show them she loved Sebastian? Yeah we get it, but this isn't high school antics. Share it with the person you wrote the song for in a big way. I feel like the author is unable to truly develop characters so throws in all of these little side twists to try to make the book interesting. However, she simply glosses over these twists and the book becomes a huge disappointment. The most interesting character was Castleford, who I truly enjoyed. He was extremely witty and I liked that he only worked on Tuesdays. The author brought much humor in the brief interactions with him. I imagine his story to be very interesting, but I'm afraid the author would ruin it.

2 people found this helpful

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Bookcat

A Valiant Effort

Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2010

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The rating is really closer to a 3.5. This was my first Madeline Hunter novel, and it encouraged me to try her other books. Audrianna inadvertently meets Lord Sebastian at an inn where she had planned instead to meet a mysterious figure, the Domino, the man she hopes will help clear her late father's name. Accused of conspiracy in a plot to profit from sales of faulty gunpowder to the British army, her father committed suicide after Lord Sebastian's investigation implicated him. The meeting at the inn goes awry when the Domino escapes after seizing Audrianna's weapon and firing at Sebastian, drawing a crowd and exposing them to public scrutiny. Caught in an compromising position, Audrianna is ruined. The news of her disgrace quickly travels to London, where, no surprise, she must marry Lord Sebastian to save her reputation. But she is determined to continue her quest to exonerate her beloved father.

The depth of research and attention to detail are impressive, the plot is off the beaten track, and the progression of Sebastian and Audrianna's relationship is credible, meaningful, and emotionally satisfying. But the two story lines, the gunpowder investigation and the couple's deepening relationship, are at odds with each other. The author effectively describes the truly horrendous effects of the gunpowder on the soldiers in battle and the sufferings of the survivors. Then we jump to a romantic love scene??? The juxtaposition is jarring. And Audrianna's attitude toward Sebastian: --"You hounded my father into an early grave, oh, Baby, you are so hot!"--was too much for me. In the hands of Carla Kelly, the late Edith Layton, or Mary Balogh, this novel might have soared. But for me, the two elements of the story never gelled. Also, the continuing investigation of the gunpowder sale meandered and plodded along without building suspense or intensity.

Don't get me wrong. Ms. Hunter is clearly a writer of merit, far above the many semi-literate wannabes currently polluting the historical romance environment. I applaud the realism, the grit, the emotion, the honest communication among the principal characters--it's so rarely found in these novels. I'm thrilled that the author didn't dumb this down to mitigate the consequences of anyone's actions. This book is an absorbing read. But I suspect that Madeline Hunter has written better books, and I certainly plan to start reading them.

17 people found this helpful

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mnix

Ravishing in Red

Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2010

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Audrianna Kelmsleigh's father died under a cloak of shame. In an attempt to clear his name, Audrianna responds to an advertisement placed by a man known as "Domino" who claims to have information on the situation that ultimately lead to her father's suicide. With only a pistol to protect her, Audrianna ventures to the Two Swords Coaching Inn, where she meets a man whose sensuality could tempt the most proper of ladies. The only problem is, the man isn't the Domino, but Lord Sebastian Summerhays - one of the men who persecuted her father. But when Audrianna's pistol accidentally goes off, her encounter with Sebastian takes an unexpected turn. The scandal that arises from their situation leads to a hasty marriage of convenience. What is not convenient, however, is the desire Audrianna begins to feel for her husband. Can Audrianna clear her father's name and allow herself to fall in love with Sebastian?

Madeline Hunter kicks off her Rarest Blooms series with the intrigue-filled Ravishing in Red. I was captivated by the twists and turns of the mystery Ms. Hunter presented, eagerly following Audrianna and Sebastian's hunt for clues. As for the protagonists themselves, I adored Sebastian. He's caring, honorable, and extremely sexy. How could I not fall for a hero like that? Audrianna, I must confess, was not a very memorable heroine. I admit that two days after reading Ravishing in Red, I cannot think of one thing about her that stands out. For this reason, I was more invested in the hero and heroine's investigation than their romance. Still, Ms. Hunter introduces a whole host of fascinating secondary characters in Ravishing in Red. I am not-so-secretly hoping Ms. Hunter has stories in mind for Sebastian's brother Morgan, who quickly found his way into my heart, as well as Sebastian's dissolute friend, the Duke of Castleford. With these fascinating men in mind, I eagerly await more Rarest Blooms books.

Shayna
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

4 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Very good mystery involved

Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2017

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It is an interesting romance entangled in a mystery. The story twists and turns looking for the culprits and the ending is somewhat a surprise. Like life, the H and h go through the ups and downs of a new marriage learning to trust and love, dealing with jealousy and implied betrayal while learning a new lesson. Ms. Hunter has given the reader a second story within the mystery making the history lesson more human in the failure of greed impact in a war setting. Well thought out and presented spreading out across several levels of society
as the characters struggle to sort out the truth. Nicely done!

4 people found this helpful

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L. Trim

Well written

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 23, 2022

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Audrianna wants to restore her father's good name, so she takes a gun to an inn with plans to have a confrontation with a man. There she meets with Lord Sebastien Sommerhays. The story progresses with her trying to mend her father's name, and romance developing with Sommerhays. I liked the book very much.

britgirl

Good Story, but it dragged on

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 12, 2012

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This is the first in the Rarest Blooms series with Summerhays and Audrianna.

Audrianna lives in Cumberworth in a modest house with three other young women. Neither know each others secrets and are happy to keep things that way. Audrianna 'borrows' her friend, Daphne Joyes' pistol, and goes to meet the 'Domino' who may have answers surrounding her father's death. Not believing any of the rumours surrounding her father's involvement in corrupted gunpowder, she vows to clear his name. But the person she meets is none other than Lord Sebastian Summerhays, the MP who's been accusing her father of the crime. In a panic, she accidentally shoots Summerhays. The innkeeper finds them, and wants to have Audrianna arrested, but Summerhays comes to her defence and says the real culprit got away. Forced to marry after being caught alone together, Audrianna is still adamant her father is innocent. Summerhays agrees to help her find the truth, but he's still certain her father was involved. Over time, they develop feelings for each other, and Summerhays shows jealousy when Audrianna spends time with his disabled brother. But when they find out the truth about her father's involvement, both must put aside their differences if they want to be together.

Overall, the book was good. It did drag on a little, but it didn't put me off reading the next in the series with Hawkeswell and Verity/Lizzie.

3/5

One person found this helpful

Book Lover

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 15, 2015

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A good book as are most of her others.

Miss Sprick

Il primo di una serie

Reviewed in Italy on August 27, 2018

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Si tratta del primo romanzo (e il migliore) di una serie che prometteva bene; ma lo schema ripetitivo, e soprattutto, la constatazione che, nell'idea dell'autrice, anche la donna più indipendente non può fare a meno di soccombere al fascino dell'esperto seduttore, mi hanno disamorato.

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