The Dragon Earl

by Jade Lee

Book Overview

His family slaughtered in far-off China, young Jacob Cato finds sanctuary in a Xi Lin temple. There he heals and learns to be strong. Now, Jacob wishes to join his care-takers as a full member of the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0843960469
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Leisure Books
• Length: 292 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 0.8" x 4.0"

Customer Reviews

Completley Unpredictable--Now that's a Feat!

This author fell out of my reading habits because her last series left me cold (after about the fifth book) with its' combo of sensuality and mysticism. So I purchased this book desperate for a read during a three day weekend. I was plesantly surprised to have been totally unable to predict how the book would end. Three great characters--each with a signature decision that would change lives forever. I especially like the research the author did signifying just how busy the "Lady of the manor" was. It reality, they ran the property, took care of many people and were still expected to have children w/o decent medical care and be charming entertainers. After so many years of reading, it's nice not to be able to have an ending telegraphed. Worth the time and $$$ for a trip to a different time, culture and a most "novel" conclusion.

An exotic and emotional historical romantic tale of self discovery

I read my first full length romance novel in the early 70's when I was a mere teen. The story was of Lucy Waring, a young English girl raised in a Chinese mission after the death of her missionary parents. The tide in that country had turned against the "foreign devils" and one minute Lucy is stealing to feed the mouths of the younger children, the next she finds herself in Regency England at Moonrakers, the home of the Falcons where she becomes torn between the desires to two men, a noble of challenged sanity who can provide for her every need and a commoner whom she loves but can't begin to understand. The story was MOONRAKER'S BRIDE by Madeleine Brent (Peter O'Donnell) and it remains one of my all time favorites today. I mention this because style and subject matter of THE DRAGON EARL brought back me to that long ago favorite. Jade Lee has brought that exotic flavor that I loved so much in MOONRAKER'S BRIDE back Regency England. THE DRAGON EARL is however destined to join it on my keeper's self based on its own merits. It is an incredible tale of self discovery for both the hero who has lived a life very different from the one he was born into and the heroine who is trapped by the very life she's been expected to lead since birth. Mere moments before Evelyn Stanton say's "I do" to her betrothed Christopher Cato, the future Earl of Warhaven, the wedding is disrupted by a Chinese monk. Evelyn is shocked to discover that the man is not Chinese at all, but white. He claims that he is Jacob Cato, Christopher's long lost and presumably dead cousin, the true heir to the Earldom and that he is here to claim his promised bride. The youngest of the family of solicitors who served the Cato's had been a childhood friend of Jacob's. The man before them had shared memories of their times together. He is convinced that he is the true earl. Jacob's grandmother also sees a strong physical resemblance between the man claiming to be her grandson and her late husband. Pandemonium breaks out as "Jacob" easily dispatches three of Christopher's groomsmen who try to remove him from the church. While the current Earl sputters and consults with Evelyn's parents, Christopher's grandmother proclaims the Monk to be her long lost grandson. Evelyn appears to be just as furious at the intrusion as her future husband but realizes their marriage will not take place that day. It appears that this man claiming to be Jacob is not going to go away, so while things are sorted out she offers Jacob a room in her home presumably to keep him close until Christopher's father can discredit him. Jacob's father, the former Earl of Warhaven had chafed at his responsibilities and for reasons know only to him had decide to take his family off to China when he'd been a child of ten. There the family had been set upon by bandits while Jacob had been playing with the young son of their Chinese guide. Both boys had witnessed the murders helpless to intervene. Jacob had been taken to the

superb historical romance

Evelyn Stanton is about to marry the Earl of Warhaven when the ceremony is interrupted by a Chinese monk. He walks down the aisle claiming he is the legitimate earl. Jacob Cato says his family was murdered in China, but he survived because monks gave him sanctuary in a temple. Before he can join the order, Jacob must avenge the deaths of his family by exposing and killing those who paid the assassins. To do this he must become the earl of Warhaven so he can enter the otherwise barred rooms of the Ton; for the killers hide behind those doors. Whereas other are skeptical of his claim, Evelyn believes him and says so. As they begin to fall in love, Evelyn's kindness begins to teach Jacob he can walk a different path other than vengeance to attain nirvana like a lifetimes walk with Evelyn at his side. Jacob is the key to this superb historical romance as he feels pulled by two cultures. He feels Chinese inside having spent a "lifetime" with local monks, but needs his English heritage to "cleanse" his soul by avenging his family. On top of his confusion, Evelyn gets inside his heart. With some suspense on and off throughout, Jade Lee provides a wonderful refreshing tale of the DRAGON EARL who chooses love over hate to the delight of the monks who gave him tender care when he needed it. Harriet Klausner

Unique Hot Regency Romance

Jade Lee has penned another unique hot historical for readers to savor with THE DRAGON EARL (Dorchester Leisure/Sept. 2008) which promises to be the beginning of a terrific new historical series set in Regency England. In the English countryside it's Evelyn Stanton's twenty-fourth birthday and also her wedding day. She's to marry her childhood friend, Christopher, who will one day be the Earl of Warhaven. However, as the wedding ceremony is about to begin a Chinese monk dressed in a hooded robe bursts into the church with his entourage and interrupts them. When he throws back his cowl they are astonished to see the Chinaman is really a white man! He is obviously also an Englishman when he questions if Evelyn and Christopher are married yet. When the minister tells him "Not yet", the monk declares himself to be Evelyn's betrothed and the rightful Earl of Warhaven! Jie Ke aka Jacob Cato has waited years to go back to England to declare his heritage and get revenge on whoever was responsible for killing his sister and parents as they traveled in China when he was a child. During those years, he has known unspeakable horror and loneliness but has found a family of sorts as a monk in training at the Xi Lin Temple that taught him self-discipline and martial arts. It's through this training that he was able to earn enough money in pugilist fights to travel to England with his faithful Chinese friends and fellow monk, Zhi Min. Before Jie Ke can take his final vows and join the monastery he must find inner peace and realizes he can't do this unless he returns to England to confront his family. Instead when he sees Evelyn all grown up, he questions what he really wants out of life. Evelyn is very upset at first when her wedding to Christopher is ruined by Jacob. In fact, Jacob thought long dead is so greatly changed they're not even sure it's him despite their repeated questions that he answers correctly. However, when Jacob returns home with them, Evelyn is intrigued with this exotic stranger. When she starts meeting Jacob nightly in the moonlit garden for lessons in lovemaking she starts to question if Christopher or Jacob is the right man for her. Add to this the puzzle of who caused the deaths of Jacob's family and you have a truly unique, passionate and winning Regency in THE DRAGON EARL!