Review: The Master & The Muse by Amanda McIntyre

THE MASTER AND THE MUSES

ISBN-13: 978-0-373-60544-6
Harlequin Spice-Books
www.Spice-Books.com
June 2010

Features: Thomas Rodin, Helen, Sara, Grace

Icon, rebel, unabashed romantic… with a single look painter Thomas Rodin conveys the ecstasy of creativity—the pleasures awaiting the woman who can fuel his artistry.

the Innocent

What did this master artist see in me? Genius abided in his soul, rapture in his flesh—I doubted not. To refuse him…my folly. To surrender…my sensual salvation.

the Upstart

I chafed at the bonds of servitude until he set me free. I turned my back on all that I knew to follow him and found myself between two men—master and student—one whom I loved with my heart...the other with my body.

the Courtesan

I understood, perhaps better than any, his needs.
I stoked the fires of his soul, the spark of his creativity— he made me a legend. But never could I forget his searing touch.…

Three transcendent tales of women bewitched by a master of seduction— a slave as much to his art as to his boundless passion.

To read an excerpt of this book, please go -->> here (after you read the review of course)!

I obtained the above information from: Ms. Amanda's Web Site!

This book is uniquely separated into three parts. Done so for you to understand the man behind the brush. Just the cover alone you will stare at for minutes on end before you read it. The strange thing was, I found myself going back to the cover after I would read something arresting about this enigma. I would look into his eyes to see the story that I read unfold around me. I would look at his clothing and match it to a tee to the words used in the book... I would look at his lips... his fingers... and remember that part in the book where he....

What you thought I was going to tell you.. Not on your life. You have to read this book.

The first book is Helen....
Oh wow.... This would be the first peek into the man behind the canvas. And let me tell you... this is an emotional read. Ms. Amanda has such a way with her writing that you feel as though you are behind the curtain, behind the door... As if you are watching the things unfold right in front of your eyes...

Helen is a young woman working at a hat shop. A daughter, a sister but most importantly ~ a woman. A woman who dared to venture outsides the ways of her "families" world. A woman who wanted to feel life, grab life and shake it and make herself known in the world.

This part of the book it titled Helen... but it is just as important to say that you meet William, Thomas' brother and Thomas himself. But believe me, once you meet William, you will not forget him. However, Thomas will captivate you, intrigue you, make you blush, make you lust, make you angry, make you feel alive... but William will make you love.

Helen meets William ~ Thomas' brother. William has a proposition for Helen... Get your mind out the gutter... William sees something in Helen that he knows the brotherhood and Thomas would just love.

Have you ever had a little treasure, something no one knew about... Something you kinda harbored only to yourself? But you knew that someone else might need it more than you, would love it more than you... would just simply want it more than you... How does knowing that make you feel? Do you want to give up your treasure to that person... Ohh and the person you want to share your gift with is a person you utterly love without question?

Did I set the mood for you... Now imagine if that person just squander that gift away... wasted it... drowned it... just simply could not give it all the love, attention and affection you could give it - to nurture it... to see it thrive... to see it live and to see it love....??

A love of a brother is a very strong bond. William's love for Thomas is very evident in this book. There is nothing short of giving his own life for Thomas that William would not do for his brother.
Life and death... but would William give up love for Thomas to have what he wants. Because if you learn something, you learn that Thomas always gets what he wants.

Thomas is a man of passion, of desire, of true "when the mood strikes"... His appetite for life, for art, for his own love is what consumes him. Day and night... Thomas knows love, but love of one woman just is not in Thomas. His love of his muses and what could be done with them is what proves to push Thomas. The man could love, you have to give him that.... His passion runs as deep as his glass of port. Is always getting what you want a good thing?

I absolutely fell in love with each of these characters. Ms. Amanda set this story up wonderful. To met Helen... quiet, shy and kinda mousy if you must say. But to watch her grow and blossom into a strong and sure of herself woman was breathtaking. The book is about Thomas, make no doubt about that... but to hold hands with Helen as she went through life, was just... spell-bounding. I admire Helen for her independence and back bone. And I even got teary eyed as well. The three of them push and pulled each other through things that life dealt them. Some times you will shake your head and shout, "you ass," and there are other times... that you will close your eyes and wish to be transported to that spot, that day.. that time. Ms. Amanda did an outstanding job with introducing the characters to us.

It is not the love of one woman Thomas may be seeking... but the love of what they bring to him.

Grace to Helen..."To be utterly worshipped, treated like a goddess for a few moments with no strings, no false promises. Who would want more than that?"

This story tugged at every level of emotion I have as a woman, a lover, a mother, a wife and a friend. These three embark on a journey that touched each one in a different way and isn't that what life is about... leaving your mark behind... We watch Helen go from daughter... to full blown woman making decisions that a woman back them would dare not make. I loved watching Helen become empowered. A breathtaking story....

And now I dare go to Sara's story....

Sara's story was just as moving, just with a different angle. We start the book knowing that her parents pass away and she moved in her uncle and aunt. Sara is wonderful spirited woman. I love her sense of adventure. I love that at the time period Sara lived it... she lived outside the box. She went after things she wanted, she dreamed of things she could have, she wanted more out of life than just to marry the farmer's son and live to have babies. She wanted to travel the world, she wanted to do more and see more.

Sara was loved by her family and her cousin who would do anything she asked. The stable guy was in love with her and life could not have been any sweeter... Except that ~ remember ~ Sara wanted more out of life...

Thomas saw Sara that the theater one night and knew when his eyes took her in like he does his port, he had to have her. Her inner beauty spoke volumes to him. He made a proposition to her... again with your mind in the gutter... He wanted her to pose for him. And that is what she did... at first.... **Evil grin** Thomas showed Sara things in life that a woman deserves to see, to feel, to breath, to live... and Thomas gave her those things.

But through these stories.. I realize a pattern... Thomas is the medium like the paints he uses on his canvas. He is the paint that gives these woman what they truly want from life, the painting they chose to paint, with the colors of Thomas' touch. Thomas does love Sara, but not the way she needs to be loved by a man. He adores her, her body and her mind, but her heart... Thomas would not hold a candle to it.

But Thomas would open her world in more than one way... And this is an amazing story of a woman's journey through the world of self discoveries. A world of seeking what you want and not stopping till you obtain what you truly want.

But I have a question for you... do you know what you truly want? What would do to obtain it? How many rules would you be willing to break to get it? What would do when you got what you truly thought what you wanted to find out.. there is more out there... a lot more? What do you do when presented with your ultimate dream and it is not as it seems? What happens if your dream involves love.. Is love enough to pull you through your times?

Allow Sara to take you on a world wind expedition of one woman determine to leave her mark on the world... One woman who is set on fulfilling her dreams and making them come true. Allow Sara to show you yet another side of Thomas....

Now I move onto the last chapter of Thomas' book.... Grace...
A book I am sure will be quiet moving... She has seem to grace the pages of each story told. And the glimpses you get of this woman, well let's just say that I think she has forever etched a place in Thomas' heart where he knew no place could exist.

OMG.............. Grace's story blew me away! I think that is all I can say. Her story runs the same length of the other two stories. And I am quiet sure if I even tell you a little about Grace's story I would not do it justice. Grace is a woman after my own heart. She is about as real as real can get ~ even for that time period. I mean, Ms. Amanda nailed Grace's character sooo well, I had to check to make sure that she did not find a journal of a real woman of today's world. Grace + patience + love + heartbreak + life = Thomas.

Just simply awesome... The twist and turns of Grace's life was just spell binding. This woman went through hell and back... Did she get what she deserves, I truly hope so. Does the man of her heart wake up to see her and what she is to him? I hope he does... if not... He will lose the best thing that was ever in his life.....
Would you go through hell and back to have the man you wanted?? Is love worth that much??

Ms Amanda blew me away with this three part story. It was an amazing journey to take with three different women. To watch their lives grow in front of our eyes. Watching heart ache and hearts heal. To watch love at it is best, worst and back again at its best. What's love worth to you? Another awesome story by Ms. Amanda!!!!!

**Cecile raises her port to Ms. Amanda and Thomas!**
**Awesome job**

If you are so inclined, I did an interview with Mr. Thomas - before I read his stories of course... if you would like to get to this man a little better... Please go check out the interview -> here.

Please make sure to visit Ms. Amanda at her web site -->> here and her blog place -->> here.
I know she would love the visitors! Thank you for coming over today! I hope you enjoy Thomas (and William) as much I have!!!

Remember... Keep it Dirty, Smutty & Hussy!