| Title | : | The Art of Desire (Berkley Heat, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0425221601 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780425221600 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 298 |
| Publication | : | First published June 3, 2008 |
Museum director Mandy Cooper is obsessed with nineteenth-century artist Catherine Burke?and the artist?s erotically charged relationship with Atacar, her enthralling American Indian lover. But Mandy?s link to the legendary couple runs deeper than she knows. She?s having a heated affair herself?with Jared Cabrillo, Atacar?s handsome great-great nephew who knows precisely what it takes to seduce a woman?
He?s in possession of Catherine?s explicit journal. He knows every intimate detail of what she wanted and needed. But he also knows how desperately Catherine had loved Atacar and how dangerously he?d loved her. The journal is timeless and tragic, and the secrets contained within its pages can bring Mandy and Jared together, or just as surely destroy them both?desire by shocking desire.
The Art of Desire (Berkley Heat, #1) Reviews
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A sex-fest is all this book was –we’re talking every 5 pages or so it seemed there were some very graphic sex scenes, and that’s all well and good if there was at least some emotional development between the h/hs. Unfortunately there wasn’t, so what I had anticipated to be a good read that had an original story line turned out to be just a tedious romp that got boring fast.
The book has a very good title. It describes both the desire felt by the woman who painted her Indian outlaw lover and the gallery curator who is having a torrid affair with the great great (maybe another great in there) relative of the Indian outlaw. The story is mostly told in the present from the gallery curator’s end, Mandy, and how she’s having this ongoing roll in the hay with her lover Jared. He’s Mr-Hot-to-Trot-I-Screw-Anything-that-Breathes. His “hotness” gets old and his intimacy issues get even more annoying. He comes across as too smooth, too suave and way too much of a player, but he’s good in bed and then some so Mandy puts up with the rest. She likes the adventure and the unexpected with this self-proclaimed bad-boy. The guy’s got a fat head and needs to go down a notch or two if you ask me. This is also one of those May/December romances. There is one part where Mandy and her friend hook up with this really skanky broad named Amber (Jared's former lover) who regales them with all her sexual exploits –and the woman has been around the ol’ block a few more times than average that’s for sure. It feels like teenagers trying to get one up on each other.
The parallel story is set on the American frontier where the woman who painted the painting in the museum, Catherine, ends up with the Indian outlaw, Atacar. She keeps a journal describing their love affair and her story is told through the journal, so it's first person writing. The heroine in the contemporary is trying to find this long lost journal for the gallery. Catherine is this wild bohemian who left her parents in England because she just didn’t fit in so she goes to America where things are more relaxed. Sounds like a good story right, well it’s not. It’s very clear early on that the ladies are horn dogs which is fine and they are more than satisfied with their lovers sexual prowess, but that’s about it. I didn’t feel any connection outside of the mad bad sex between the couples. The story turns out to be very one dimensional when all is said and done. There is an interesting side story about the language of flowers, what they mean and how people communicated secretly back in the day that I thought was well-done.
As for the sex, well it’s one of those burn your eyes out of your head and your fingers off your hand kind of story, but there’s just way too much. It’s a fine line that an erotica author has to walk between a good story that doesn’t stagnate, graphic sex without going overboard and putting in sex scenes for the sake of doing so because it’s erotica. The sex here is really “in your face”, blatant, anatomical almost. There is no anal sex or BDSM but believe me you get more than enough "variety" with what's given. It lacks sensuality and there are some really ick/yuck moments that had me going “ew” a few times. Graphic sex works if there’s good emotional development to go along with it. If it’s just gratuitous, well, I think you have to like reading that to enjoy the story. The writing is generally good, a few typos here and there but nothing major.
So here's the scoop: if you’re looking for sex every which way till Sunday to be the focal point of a book then you just may like this one. If you want a strong story with the sex, then pick up something else because you won’t get that here. 2.5 stars for me. -
Fans of Historical Romance, Contemporary Romance and Erotica will love this one! It has two stories woven together, one being the historical story and the other being the contemporary story, both being highly erotic!!
When I first started the book it seemed as though it was just a book filled with very detailed and very hot sex.. but after really getting into it I realized what a great love story it was also!
My only complaints are that at times the writing felt choppy, some of the sentences just didn't flow and it was actually so noticeable at times that it took me out of the story. Also, I never really formed a connection with one of the heroes, Jared. I feel like I didn't really get to know him or his feelings until the end, and I would have like to have seen his feelings bared a little more.
Overall, great read! Recommended to those who are not afraid of a lot of detail and a lot of heat! -
I'm putting The Art of Desire on my Favorite shelf because I would highly recommend this book for lovers of contemporary romance, Historical romance and erotica. It has all 3 and does all 3 perfectly.
I've read other books with a story in a story theme and usually one story out shines the other but in this case both are strong and I loved both equally!
While the writing is excellent the editing is not. I found several mistakes that pulled me out of the book and had me rereading lines.
Both h/h's had sweet, erotic, sexy, soul connecting, chemistry and I loved them.
Love when an erotic novel gives you a great story to go along with the sizzle!
4.5
Also loved that the Historical hero was a Native American. -
Adorei. Muito muito bom. Fiquei indecisa entre o 4 e o 5, mas acabei por me decidir pelo 4.
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O início foi demasiado intenso pois no meu ver a separação da história de Atacar e Catherine com a de Mandy e Jared devia ter sido mais espaçada
[, ou seja... deviam ter organizado e espaçado melhor as historias pois ficou cenas de sexo muito carregadas xD Daí que li somente as cenas de Mandy e Jared durante 4 capítulos e depois voltava atrás para ler somente os de Atacar e Catherine. Isto até chegar aos últimos capitulos e li como estavam ordenados no livro. **3**]
RESUMINDO:
Gostei imenso de ambas as histórias e como se relacionam! <3
A história de Atacar e Catherine é tão linda, mágica, romantica, trágica, sincera e itemporal!! **3**
A história de Amanda (Mandy) e Jared é intensa, clichê mas linda, divertida e imaginativa. **w** Seria giro ver como ficavam ao envelhecerem mas o fim do livro está bem assim também. ADOREI. -
Só no prólogo de 3 ou 4 páginas contei a palavra pénis sete vezes. Há aqui alguma espécie de fixação pelo membro masculino...
Escusado será dizer que não passei mesmo do prólogo e penso que não perdi nada em ler mais desta estória sobre a paixão de uma mulher branca por um índio (ou pelo grande e possante membro dele) ahah -
In portuguese " A flor do Desejo" :D
a interesting surprise that mixes two stories with some amazing hardcore sex scenes. ok...not some, there's a lot of sex scenes :)
Try not to read this book in public :) -
Este livro só ganha pela parte histórica, é o único miolo de jeito com algum corpo e cabeça.
A historia recente é tao, valha-me deus- aquela relação do Jared e da Mandy? Que? Toda a santa página havia sexo "Fomos dar uma volta- sexo, fomos ao escritório-sexo-fui ver um cavalo-sexo. Não ha conversa,diálogos mínimos TIPO. Ja a catherine e o Atacar, tinham uma relação solida e saudável! E foi giro perceber significados e flores e cores, acho que foi a única aprendizagem neste livro...
Em suma: é SÓ mesmo um livro erótico que decidiu agregar uma parte história que uau, pasmem-se também tem muito SEXO mas MAIS dialogo e esta por si só é que devia constituir o livro e não o presente, e só por isso leva as 3 estrelas. -
Review publicada originalmente aqui:
http://illusionarypleasure.blogspot.pt/
“A flor do desejo” foi o primeiro livro de Cherie Feather publicado pela Quinta Essência. O livro é bastante mais cruel que o segundo “As máscaras do desejo” embora sigam o mesmo tipo de narrativa: entrelaçar o passado com o presente em duas histórias de amor paralelas. Feather tem um dom de escrever uma história que já não é nenhuma novidade, mas continua a ter bastante encanto, especialmente quando lida com o passado onde coloca detalhes históricos. Desta vez os detalhes são relativos à linguagem das flores usado no período vitoriano. Feather utiliza bastante informação ao mesmo tempo que mostra e envolve esse simbolismo na narrativa para desenjoar todo o sexo. E de facto aprendemos alguma coisa e de repente “A flor do desejo” não é apenas um livro erótico light, mas também ensina e faz uso de símbolos. A relação entre Mandy e Jared aliam o lado louco e selvagem à sedução que se transforma aos poucos em amor. Feather soube também manter alguma tensão entre a relação, embora neste a narrativa para o final tenha sido demasiado rápida, o que podia ter roubado bem mais lágrimas aos leitores, se a autora se tivesse alongado com detalhes. Ainda assim, a relação de Catherine a Atacar proporciona ao leitor uma bela história de amor e embora tenha preferido “As máscaras do desejo”, senti que este satisfaz um leque bem mais vasto de leitores. Mesmo assim Cherie Feather dá uma porrada a muitas autoras que estão a surgir agora no nosso mercado e apenas tenho pena que a tradução tenha ficado bastante aquém (ou então eu no últimos dois anos fiquei uma tola e habituei-me a ler do mais variado calão em livros).
Relativamente à tradução. Quando li “As máscaras do desejo” não me lembro de ter torcido o nariz, mas desta vez a tradutora usou e abusou da conjunção “todavia” quando podiam muito bem ter variado as conjunções, o que me irritou pois “todavia” é das conjunções mais feias, e a tradutora pareceu querer evitar o “mas” a todo o custo; por outro lado, as descrições sexuais pareciam um manual de anatomia para médicos. Frases como “Vou fazer-te sexo oral na limusina” (I’m going to make you oral sex in the limo? – oh dear não sei que versão é a pior, quem é que diz eu vou fazer-te sexo oral?) ou “Acariciou a vagina” ou ainda “o sémen jorrou” fazem com que a linguagem tenha sido bastante artificial.
Gostava bastante que a autora escrevesse um livro sobre Kiki e o artista BDSM, já que ia ser algo bastante diferente do que tenho lido da Feather e acho que seria uma mais valia aventurar-se por esses caminhos (e se ela escreveu, tell me the name and I’ll read it). -
When I picked this book up in B&N on the discount table I read only the first two lines of the story and decided to give a new author (for me) a try. It was only after I got home looked at the back cover and learned that this tale would have two story lines and two sets of characters. It starts with a prologue telling a little of the characters in the past (whose passages are in italics - and later in the novel that those passages are from a journal kept by the young woman in 1895 Texas) a woman, Catherine, writing of the first time she met her lover Atacar, an Apache. Then immediately it switches to the modern day couple who have ties to the long ago lovers. Mandy is a curator in an art museum in Sante Fe, that is soon to exhibit the only surviving painting of Atacar, done by Catherine. She is also searching for Catherine's journal, that is believed to be in the hands of her Grandniece Minerva, who refuses to even speak to Mandy on the phone. Mandy is also involved with a man named Jared Cabrillo a local mover and shaker who happens to be a distant relative of Atacar and who owns the painting.
All the way through the novel the author goes back and forth between the story from the journal of Catherine and Atacar (which is actually in the hands of Jared, who is loathe to give it up) and Jared and Mandy's hot affair that Jared keeps at arm's length - hot BDSM sex, but no emotional attachment. Because there is this familial tie between Atacar, Catherine and Jared, along with Mandy's obsession for all three of them, this to and fro structure actually works quite well.
Mandy's gal pals of Kiki and Amber help move the story along, and in fact Amber (who was Jared's 'friend' first) helps him set up a test for Mandy, who is told she must find him at a Masquerade ball and give him the key to her condo and invite him to fuck her at the party. Only the test is made more difficult by Amber who hires two actors who can pass for Jared to also attend the party in the same costume and masks, other than the three men all have a different colored rose in their lapel.
The course of true love never is smooth for either set of lovers, I enjoyed this story and the telling of it very much. -
When Mandy Cooper started her affair with Jared Cabrillo, it was never meant to be anything but sex. A very proper and professional museum director, Mandy didn’t realize her inner desire to have dirty sex with a younger man until she met Jared. Even more fascinating for her is the painting of Jared’s ancestor, Atacar, that brought them together. It would be a coup for the museum if they were able to find the journal Mandy is sure Catherine, Atacar’s British lover, kept that chronicled their relationship. While the search continues, Mandy has no issues indulging in ‘adventurous’ sex with her young lover. But will she be able to keep her heart separate?
Jared has spent his life living free and clear of any steady relationships. He loves women and enjoys being with them, Mandy in particular, but has no interest in settling down. But every moment with Mandy brings an unexpected pang. Her sweetness calls to him, and Jared finds himself doing unexpectedly romantic things to make her happy. But what will Mandy do when he reveals the secret he has been keeping?
Jared is determined to use all of his wiles to teach Mandy THE ART OF DESIRE. In a car, in an office with people walking by, at a masquerade ball -- Jared will use anything at his disposal to engage the lovely Mandy. In return, Mandy is trying very hard to keep their affair light and carefree. If she can keep her heart from getting engaged, maybe she won’t hurt as bad when he eventually leaves. THE ART OF DESIRE is a sexy romance with a tiny bit of mystery added in. As Jared and Mandy’s relationship blossoms, it mirrors the past relationship between Atacar and Catherine, so readers get two stories in one. Other secondary characters play minor roles as the supporting cast for the main characters.
THE ART OF DESIRE is an erotic fantasy, so have the fan handy when you pick up this engaging read. -
Mandy is a museum curator who is obsessed with 19th century artist, Catherine Burke. Legend has it that Catherine had a torrid affair with one of most famous subjects, Atacar. He was a Native American fugitive who being hunted by the cavalry. It was just Catherine's luck that she came across Atacar taking a dip in the river. She was immediately captivated. And soon they were both connected body and soul. Mandy finds herself in an erotically charged relationship with Atacar's great, great nephew, Jared. Just the sight of him causing Mandy to think of all types of illicit things. Mandy is also in search of Catherine's journals which are said to describe her relationship with Atacar in juicy detail. Little does she know that her lover is keeping those journals to himself as he revels in the hot tales of lust and love of Catherine and Atacar. As Catherine feels herself getting closer and closer to falling in love with Jared, he is in turmoil over his increasing feelings towards her. This is a man who doesn't "do" relationships, but Mandy is quickly making him change his mind. This book was sweet at times and over the top sexy. I loved how the author went back in time to make us fall in love with Catherine and Atacar. As for Jared and Mandy, they were so HOT it will make your toes curl.
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Em geral é um livro que até se lê bem. Não gostei nada da história do presente, não gostei do Jared e muito menos da Mandy, é tao estranha, e tao tosca.
Mas adorei a história do passado, adorei Catherine e as suas ideias que vinham das amigas boémias, apesar da fama não tinha qualquer proveito. Até conhecer Atacar (ri-me tanto com o nome), a pensar que andava enfeitiçado, por ela, e que de certa maneira até estava.
Talvez por Catherine ser pintora, o que me fascinou muito para variar, e é tao, mas tão romântico ou sei lá, esconder o quadro nas paredes, foi algo que me fascinou mesmo muito, até mesmo onde o diário estava escondido. Pormenores que ficam sempre bem e completamente enriquecedores.
Por falar no diário não gostei nada era que as vezes Jared e Mandy estavam a falar de qualquer coisa completamente banal e a conversa ia sempre ao diário e como teriam que desistir.
O fim é surpreendente, o fim da do passado, não estava a espera. Já a do presente era completamente previsível. -
Mandy and Jared make a perfect couple together. Mandy acts all prim and proper during the day but watch out at night, especially when Jared it involved. I thought Jared was one hot tamale. Hot to the touch on the outside but hot and spicy on the inside as well. The concept for the storyline was a good one. The Art of Desire was a very well-written novel. I read it in one sitting. I am happy to see this author, Sheri Whitefeather writing erotic novels as Cherie Feather. The Art of Desire is Ms. Whitefeather's first but I know it will not be her last. So do yourself a favor and check The Art of Desire out today.
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Two tales of lovers that are connected with mystery and an old journal had me reading this sexy tale in a matter of a few hours. Intriguing and complex characters and a beautifully written tale of seduction and love … this is an erotic fantasy with a plethora of sensual and sexual delights. Ms. Feather’s first erotic romance is an emotional read that will leave you panting with DESIRE for her next book, SUBMISSION, which will be released in early 2009 (I’m hoping it will be Kiki’s story)
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Este livro desiludiu-me por completo. Não sei se a tradução é má mas acheio-o muito fraco. Logo do inicio arruinou o meu interesse pois não explorou o inicio do romance dos protagonistas passando à frente o ponto fulcral da historia. Achei este livro muito apressado e sem nenhum sentido de escrita. Só não atribuo 1 estrela porque esse tipo de pontuação reservo para os que detesto.
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I have just finished this book and while it does lean towards the erotic, it had a nice written story line. I would read anything else by this author and also under her other names.
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Very often, erotica has heat but not heart. This is not the case here.
Click here for full review. -
Story within a story ... very hot! Older woman younger man.
She's a museum curator and he's a horse trainer. -
Ai os romances das fitinhas... ou a história é muito boa e me agarra ou então é tipo este: Indiferente.
Lê-se bem mas não me cativou. -
more like it was ok+ - it was 2.5 => all the "journal" stuff didn't interest me at all. I'd also forgotten reading it previously. :X
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Wow! Riveting with sexual tension! I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
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http://algodaodoceparaocerebro.blogsp... -
I loved every page of Sheri's!
