Customer Reviews
Whatever happend to Judy Cuevas - By: , 31 Jul 1999 
I found this novel somewhat lacking. It seemed to be missing the beautiful prose found in her books written under the name of Judy Cuevas. Furthermore, I did not find the characters in this book attractive. It seams alll of Night/Cuevas' characters are flawed, yet I usuallly find this endearing. These characters, however are not very endearing, nor memorable. Perhaps, it is the lack of careful self analysis that is found in some of here other books, such as Dance & Black Silk.
Strong start very weak finish - By: , 05 May 1999 I found the scenes on board ship very good, I thought that Charles & Louise would have some explosive interaction once they reached land. However, he turned into a wimp & she never got over herself. They had promise, but they didn't deliver.
A Witty, Modern Day Fairy Tale - By: , 25 Jan 1999 
This was also my first novel by Ms. Ivory & I couldn't put it down. It is very intelligently written, with witty dialogue, great character development, sensual & fast paced. Yes, both characters were not "perfect", but together their imperfections complimented each other. This book was both funny & "hot", I highly recommend it if you're a fan of Jill Barnett or Brenda Joyce.
While the plot was strong, the characters were disappointing - By: , 19 Jun 1998 
This was the first Judith Ivory book that I have read. The book started out strong & held my attention throughout Louise & Charles' voyage. The dialouge was interesting & the love scenes were excellent!! However, once the two characters reached land, they seemed to lose the qualities which made them so great. Charles becomes ineffectual & self-conscious, while Louise becomes a veritable shrew. There are moments where the old characters do shine through (the bathroom scene & the garden party). I found the scene where Charles gives Louise a black pearl necklace particularly poignant. The characters do seem to collect themselves & move towards a heroic ending. Which is, if a little anti-climatic, still happily ever after.
Can two very flawed characters find happiness? - By: , 16 Mar 1998 Reading this book, I was hard pressed to figure out who the "beast" of the title reallly was. True, the "hero" was disfigured & met his lady only under cover of darkness, but the lady in question was no true beauty, either. Much is made of her physical beauty, but she is a very spoiled, sheltered, & selfish 18-year-old with a VERY teenagerish outlook on life. Much is made of her honesty, but she hardly thinks twice about lying to her family & husband about a shipboard romance. Much is made over her desire to make something of her life, but she ends up mooning over her lost love, being cruel to those who love her, & then--pregnant. There is the requisite happy ending, but by that time I was so annoyed with the foolishness of both of them, I reallly didn't care. In terms of plot, though, the first half of the book is dynamite, a great set-up. The arrival in Marseilles is an expertly written piece of work. And Ivory is true to her characters, even if they do annoy the heck out of you. I won't be keeping this one, but I will remember it.
