Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Review -- The Black Hawk

The Black Hawk
By Joanna Bourne
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: November 1, 2011















Ever since Adrian appeared in The Spymaster's Lady, I have been dying for him to have his own book---me and every other Joanna Bourne fan. Well, that day has finally come, and it is more than worth the wait!

Adrian Hawkhurst, aka Hawker, has come a long way since his boyhood days as an expert pickpocket from the rookeries of St. Giles. Now Head of the British Intelligence Service---and a Knight Companion of The Order of the Bath, to boot---Adrian is, by all appearances, a gentleman of the first order. But looks can be deceiving, because under all that polish, lives the boy of unknown origins and the dangerous spy he grew to be, and his past shows up on his doorstep one night, bloodied and near death. Justine DeCabrillac, his past enemy and lover, the woman he has loved since they were on the cusp of adulthood. His "Owl" had returned.


He was not tall or massive. Not a walking mountain of threat like William Doyle. Hawker was the menace of a thin, sharp blade. He was strong in the deep fibers of his body. Tough as steel in the sinew and bone and straps of lean muscle.


Justine DeCabrillac was just thirteen years old the first time she met Hawker, but she was already in the employ of the Police Secrete in Paris. Though they were enemies, there was an irresistible pull between them, one they gave into a few years later, and continued for many years after. Enemies they have been, but their hearts told a different story. Justine now has critical information she must give Adrian, but someone else will stop at nothing to keep her from delivering it. Stabbed by an unseen assassin, Justine makes her way through the rainy London streets to find the only man she knows who might save her. The one she has never stopped loving. Adrian and Justine must overcome their distrust for one another and the pain of their past if they are to triumph over the unknown enemy who is pursuing them.

When Joanna Bourne first showed Adrian and Justine together as teenagers in The Forbidden Rose, I knew that these two would make for an incredible story, a page turner par excellence. I was right. Learning about their pasts, their trials and tribulations that shaped who they are, made their relationship so much deeper, richer. If ever a hero and heroine deserved a happy ending, it is Adrian and Justine. I'm continually amazed and delighted by the richness of Ms. Bourne's prose. It is lush and decadent, yet at the same time comforting, like a cashmere blanket you want to wrap around you, surrounding yourself in it's warmth. I find myself re-reading passages just to immerse myself in their vivid perfection.


She wore his crimson robe de banyan. Nothing else at all. To clasp his robe upon her was to feel surrounded by masculine arms. The color warmed her like the sun. Red silk for grand gestures, for luxurious desires and recklessness.


And another....


"Truth, then. You want to hear truth." He couldn't touch Owl, except with his eyes, so he let his imagination slide across her, planning where he'd kiss her later tonight. He liked kissing beauty and he'd done a certain amount of that over the years. With Owl, he'd start with beauty and go on to kissing ruthlessness and ideals in the lines at the corners of her eyes. Passion and practicality sitting around her mouth. Not a comfortable woman, his Owl. Not ordinary.


Reading a Joanna Bourne novel is a feast for the senses: the decadence of a rich chocolate torte, the crisp, bubbly effervescence of a glass of champagne. Light and dark, sweet and spicy. Everything you could ever want and more. The Black Hawk has on-the-edge-of-your-seat intrigue, heart-wrenching drama, sizzling romance, and soul-stirring love. It is going to have a place of honor on my keeper shelves....as soon as I read it again...and again.

~ Gannon


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35 comments:

  1. Gannon,
    I loved your review and will be definitely reading The Black Hawk. I love stories like this. The Forbidden Rose is sitting in my pile of TRB's. I'll be pulling it out and reading it first.Thanks for your review Gannon. Well done.
    Carol L
    Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com

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  2. I'm loving EVERYTHING about THE BLACK HAWK.

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  3. I like the idea of a Top Dish outstanding review. I know what you mean when you say a book hits you in a significantly different way.

    I definitely want to look for Joanna Bourne's books especially The Black Hawk!

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  4. I love Joanna Bourne, and even recently reread The Spymaster's Lady. Can't wait to get my hands on The Black Hawk :) she is an exceptional writer! Thank you for a mouthwatering review!

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  5. Gannon, your review makes me want to drop everything and lose myself in The Black Hawk - and I've already read it!

    I've been waiting for Adrian's story since the release of The Spymaster's Lady and Ms. Bourne did not disappoint. Like you, I was totally blown away. This book will also have a cherished position on my keeper shelf.

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  6. Gannon, I'm thrilled that the Dishes are adding the Top Dish rating. Some books are so wonderful they deserve that extra praise.

    I have my ARC of The Black Hawk in hand and will begin reading today. Your review makes me more eager to start reading.

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  7. Gannon, great review, can't wait to check this out, oh the cover is yummy!

    Also like the Top Dish rating!

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  8. Carol, I loved The Forbidden Rose, too, because it shows Adrian and Justine when they were younger. Plus, I adored Maggie's and Doyle's story. Oh, you are going to just love The Black Hawk!

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  9. Marybelle, it's fabulous, as you can tell from my review. ;-)

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  10. Laurie G, Jo is a phenomenal writer. All of her books are cherished keepers for me.

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  11. Kara-Karina, The Spymaster's Lady completely blew me away when I read it. In fact, I couldn't read anything else for at least a week---just wanted to savor the perfection of that book. :-)

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  12. PJ, I could read this book over and over! I know there were quite a few of us eager for Adrian's book. *g*

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  13. Janga, I'll be eager to know what you think of it when you finish it. :-)

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  14. Karyn, Adrian is a pretty yummy hero! *g* So glad you like the Top Dish rating. We're pretty excited about it, too. :-)

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  15. Wonderful review, it definitely sparked my interest. THE BLACK HAWK has just been added to my TBR list. Nov 1st can't get here fast enough. Thank you, Gannon.

    http://unwrappingromance.blogspot.com/

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  16. Nice review! Just added to my wishlist.

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  17. Wonderful review. I'm really looking forward to this book. We've seen Adrian at different ages and finally met Justine in The Forbidden Rose. It will be fascinating to have the blanks in their relationship finally filled in.

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  18. I love these edge of your seat reads. Sounds really good.

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  19. MUST....have....this.....book! Cannot wait to read it, Loved the Spymaster, I was hooked from the very beginning.

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  20. Nov 1st can't get here fast enough.

    Amy, I hope time passes quickly for you. ;-)

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  21. It will be fascinating to have the blanks in their relationship finally filled in.

    Penfield, it is fascinating, without a doubt!

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  22. Virginia, I highly recommend all of Joanna Bourne's books.

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  23. Loved the Spymaster, I was hooked from the very beginning.

    Oh, boy, Dianna, I was, too! I know you are just going to love The Black Hawk, too.

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  24. Fabulous review, Gannon! Just like everyone else I have benn waiting for Adrian's story. Can't wait to read it!

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  25. Terrific review, Gannon! Adrian found a place in my heart when I read THE SPYMASTER'S LADY and I cannot wait to finally read his HEA!

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  26. This book looks really good! Great review!

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  27. This is definitely sounding like a book not to be missed. It has all the ingredients I look for in a story. After reading your description, it sounds "delicious."

    thanks for the review.

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  28. I've been wanting Adrian's book for so long just like the rest of you, so glad to hear it's been worth the wait.

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  29. Joanna Bourne's novels are such an awesome treat. Can't wait to read BLACK HAWK.

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  30. I'm so excited to read this! I LOVE the way Joanna writes, and her books just get better and better. If THE BLACK HAWK is even half as good as THE FORBIDDEN ROSE, it's sure to be one of my favorite books of the year. I can't recommend her books enough!

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  31. Jo Bourne is one of my favorite writers. Her prose is lush and gorgeous. Her stories unforgettable. I've been waiting for Hawker's story since Spymaster's Lady!

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