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Title: As You Desire
ISBN: 0440221994
Author:
Connie Brockway
Publicate Date: 1997-01-01
Publish: 1997-01-01
List Price: $7.50
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $14.99
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $1.84
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1: A charming scoundrel with a dark and painful past
Desdemona "Dizzy" Carlisle, a language prodigy who can read (but not speak) 12 languages (including just about every dead language) lives in Cairo with her grandfather and an assorted, slightly off kilter antiquities-mad expatriate community in Cairo. Her best friend, and often worst enemy, is the brilliant, charming, unscrupulous Harry Braxton, antiquities dealer and all around scoundrel extraordinaire. What she doesn't realize is that he hides a heart that beats with true love for her, a love he hides because of a deep, dark secret and a painful past, one which has caught up with him and Dizzy. But in a funny way, because this is a Brockway comedy. Will he be able to screw up the nerve to confess his love for her? And when is he going to do this, with the two of them constantly being kidnapped and his disgustingly romantic cousin visitng from the Old Country, seducing her with visions of constipated looking heroes and crumbling English manors?
*** I forgot just how good this book is - Brockway is one of the best writers out there and unusual in her ability to do both light comedy and dark, angsty romance with equal skill. "As You Desire" is the former, although it has an emotional depth that's rare in just about any genre. It also has one of my favorite heroes - Harry Braxton, who comes across at first as a brilliant and charming if unscrupulous scallawag. Then you get to know him and the deep, dark secret that scarred him and stands in the way of his love for Dizzy... but has also made him the man he is. Harry is tortured without being angsty, a real hero who's overcome a difficult and painful past and become a generous man who lives with joy. However, a large part of his joy comes from his love for Dizzy and the big question in the book is: Can he be brave enough to trust her with his secret? And will she reject him (of course not, dummy!) Nobody in the book succumbs to a sudden lowering of IQ when the dreaded "big misunderstanding" arrives on the scene - instead, there's a real problem with real people trying to overcome their insecurities in that most dangerous of times - when you're in love. This is one of the most satisfying books I've ever read of any genre: excellent writing and sparkling dialogue; laugh out loud humor; 3 dimensional, sympathetic characters (including some fabulous secondary characters, and a lovely little secondary romance). And, it does what the very best romances (and fiction) does: take us on a journey of heartfelt emotion and personal growth.
Conclusion: Recommended for anyone - honestly, who doesn't love a scallawag? I'd even recommend this to people who say they don't like romances. In fact, I'd recommend just about any Connie Brockway book.
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2: A cut above the rest ...
A quirky historical romance in many ways, I really enjoyed As You Desire.
This story follows our protags through the sands and markets of Egypt as they come to an understanding about each other. I loved that the setting of AYD stayed in Egypt. Historical Romance is my first love, but, having read the genre through several decades now, I've grown weary of the English/Scottish settings. Reading this one was breath of fresh air and it is my desire to see other authors branch out like that.
Desdemona has known Harry Braxton for years now, ever since she arrived in Egypt to live with her grandfather after her parents died in England. She's had a different sort of childhood. Her scholarly parents found out early that Dizzy, as Harry calls her, is a prodigy of sorts- she's able to read and translate languages in a manner way beyond her age. Much of her childhood was spent in libraries and on stages where her parents lectured and displayed her talent to the world.
Her grandfather is quite content to live out the rest of his life in Egypt, but Dizzy has it in her head that he would be better back home in England- as she knows she certainly would. You see, she only wants to be a normal girl- back in England, raising a family in a cottage with a summer garden. For this reason her grandfather is willing to make it happen, but first they have to raise the money to get them back on their feet after he had lost much of their wealth through poor management.
Harry fell for Desdemona from the first time he laid eyes on her but his desperate secret keeps him emotionally distant, though he can't help but come to the rescue whenever she falls into trouble- which she seems to have a penchant for doing, and OFTEN!
At the opening of this book, Dizzy has been kidnapped from a market outing on her own and is awaiting a unknown future- likely sold into slavery, possible worse.
But she's been there for several days and ... she's bored. Enter her savior. But its not the dark desert prince she imagines in her fanciful fantasies- it's only Harry. Harry, who she once thought she'd loved but who one night rebuffed her passionate advances, making her more angry than hurt. (Okay she was hurt too, but one has to keep up appearances when rejected so soundly!)
Still, a rescue is a rescue and with little ado, she follows him out. The whole ordeal has made her a bit miffed too because she's realized her captors paid Harry to take her off their hands- a girl's pride is bound to be hurt by that and some how she knows the circumstances are not all they seem. Especially if Harry is involved.
From there on we find this scenario playing out in different ways. Dizzy, doesn't follow English proper ways on how a Lady should conduct herself, needless to say, and it gets her into numerous scrapes. But Harry will always find her and save her. She knows this though she never voices it. And. He never fails to do so.
I loved that about him. And though he shows an affable laughing face to the world, there is much more to him then what he portrays.
But all that's about to change- his cousin, the outwardly noble Blake Ravenscroft has come to Egypt now in desperate need of Harry's help, much to his chagrin.
Of course, Harry finds he can know longer hold back his true nature- because Dizzy is sure Blake is the man of her dreams.
Desdemona is a great heroine. Cheeky and not average in anyway, she does as she pleases though professing to long for a life as an average English Lady. Harry is handsome and much more worthy than his cousin, though his cousin is the one with the title. Yep, Harry has a secret, one that his family has used to put him down numerous times, but he's far nobler than they assume and his secret- just melts my heart! I love that Harry's made something of himself despite his "flaws" too. He really is a great hero though not your average one in anyway either!
I highly recommend this read if you haven't read it already. If you are in the mood for a quick historical romance read a cut above the rest, this one is for you!
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3: Romantic
This was a beautifully written book. Brockway has a gem in this book. Her writing style is different than any in this genre. Harry was a smart, sexy hero who had such longing for Dizzy that just loved him for it. Dizzy and Harry's interaction together was "Romantic" there's just no other word for it. The story flowed and there was no fighting or misunderstanding's. It was a wonderfully written book.And the inscription on the mirror at the end was beautifully done.If you have not read this one go out and find it it's a Keeper.
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4: "you are my country . . . ." *sigh* such a fantastic hero . . . .
I was saving As You Desire for a rainy day, and I knew it would be a good read. I love that it takes place in Egypt in 1890 (great setting and time period!) - very exotic and adventurous! Desdemona (Dizzy) and Harry have known each other for 5 years, but 3 years ago she threw herself at him and he refused her advances b/c of her young age and his hidden "problem"....well now their friendship is starting to blossom into love - just when Harry's "tall, dark and handsome" cousin Blake visits and begins courting Dizzy.....
WARNING!!: Some of my review is spoilerish about certain scenes, but it doesn't spoil the twist in the plot...however if you haven't read it yet and you are interested in reading it - please just read the book b/c I wouldn't want to ruin any of the small surprise for you. (sorry!)
Characters: Harry can speak 12 different languages and Desdemona can translate them all written. They are both prodigies and they've both experienced difficult childhoods.
I love Harry b/c he is everything that many other romance heroes aren't, and Connie Brockway does a great job of juxtaposing this by showing the clash and the differences between Harry and Blake. Harry knows that Blake won't make Dizzy happy, but he's to afraid to say anything to Dizzy without revealing too much of his past about his "problem".
Magi, the maid and guardian for Dizzy, is GREAT! I love when she gives Harry the warning that he needs to snap out of it and profess his love to Dizzy - so satisfying!!!
Plot: The 2nd plot line involves a wealthy Texan who lays out a 10,000 dollar cash prize to anyone who can find him a golden Apis bull to put on his mantle back at his ranch. and the action begins. everyone wants the prize - and it ends up fitting perfectly in the Happily-Ever-After. :)
ONE small minor detail I would change if I could:
There is a reference to hashish being smoked from a hookah, and the heroine gets stoned off her ass (which is a pretty funny scene I must admit). My older sister owns a hookah and her Greek next door neighbors own hookahs as well. You're only supposed to smoke shisha tobacco with them - it won't get you stoned. Yes, technically you CAN smoke hashish or pot with a hookah but the resin WILL ruin the pipes and tubes - any die-hard hookah owner (or native middle-eastern who owns a hookah) knows this and will NOT do this. However, I can easily give Connie Brockway the benefit of the doubt and say - ok, so what - this happened by accident - the hookahs weren't cleaned properly or taken care of and the owner will buy a new hookah - no big deal....
The love scene is such a passionate relief after all the mounting tension and confusion and drama, I had to remind myself how to breathe and exhale. And the anguish that Harry goes through to convince Dizzy that he really does love her just squeezed my heart into a pulp - I know I've mentioned "physically painful" moments in romances before (Lord of Fire by Galen Foley or Lover Eternal by JR Ward) but once I got to the turn in the plot where Harry confesses everything to Dizzy - I had to finish the novel in one night - there's not putting it down.....
Final note: "A" for the imagery, Harry's profession of love, Harry's anguish and "unique-ness" of the story and setting, and the fantastic satisfying love scene, and all around good direction and flow of the drama.
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5: A Real Knuckle-Biter
Ever read a book or watched a movie that made you shove your knuckles in your mouth so you don't gasp out loud? Yes, this book is that good. It's got all the ingredients that make a great romance novel: danger, sizzling sexual tension, unrequited love, archetypical femme rival, handsome (and titled) love interest, etc., yet Ms. Brockway manages to make this book seem non-formulaic.
And who doesn't like a beta hero with alpha tendencies? Harry writes poetry and kicks butt for the woman he loves! He is so lovably rendered, with his rumpled clothing and disheveled hair, that I was completely captivated. Underneath his slightly mussed exterior, you could still sense his rugged, masculine - yet sensitive - interior. His handicap,rather than make him seem less masculine provoked a strong protective instinct and made him even more endearing.
I liked the heroine Desdemona as well, even though she did display a few too-stupid-to-live tendencies. I did like that her gift for deciphering Egyptian antiquities was realistically renedered and that it didn't seem out of character for the times. Unfortunately for her, Harry's personality was so much larger than life that it totally overwhelmed hers.
[...]
All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable read and I should know; I read it twice.
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