The Pen And Muse Loved "Owned BY Rome"

What I liked: First, I have to say how much I adore this cover. For me it simply sizzles from the screen and draws me in to learn more.

I don’t normally read a lot of historicals, but I am fascinated by ancient periods and especially the Romans. They were cruel, violent, deviant, loving, and among other things indulgent. And in Owned by Rome you see all of this. Atellus is a strong and noble hero that any woman would fall for and Rutila is the willful and strong type of heroine we’d all wish to be. In fact, all of the characters are richly drawn, from the disgusting cousin of Atellus to the slaves that wish to save Rutila from needless suffering when she faces death.

When I got to the end of this book I felt like I’d been on an epic journey. There were moments of highs and lows throughout that made it all very real. Atellus and Rutilla worked hard for their romance and I cheered them on the whole way. In the midst of fighting, hunger, and some emotional exhaustion there were some beautiful spicy moments. Some light bondage and domination elements are included as well.

The only issue that ever pulled me out of the story was some of the latin. While appropriate for the story, a bit less might have been easier on me as a reader. Still, I loved this story and highly recommend it and plan to check out more of Ms. Leon’s work.

 Reviewed by Eve Cassidy, The Pen And Muse, June 27 2010