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Delaneys of Killaroo #1
Adelaide, The Enchantress
Addie Delaney, an Australian jockey, falls in love with American horsebreeder Shane Marston, but is uncertain she can give up the excitement of racing as he asks
192 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1987
11 people are currently reading
176 people want to read
About the author
Kay Hooper
108 books2,456 followersKay Hooper (aka Kay Robbins) was born in California, in an air force base hospital since her father was stationed there at the time. The family moved back to North Carolina shortly afterward, so she was raised and went to school there.
The oldest of three children, Kay has a brother two years younger and a sister seven years younger. Her father and brother are builders who own a highly respected construction company, and her mother worked for many years in personnel management before becoming Kay's personal assistant, a position she held until her untimely death in March 2002. Kay's sister Linda works as her Business Manager, Events Coordinator, and is playing a major role in the creation and operation of The Kay Hooper Foundation.
Kay graduated from East Rutherford High School and attended Isothermal Community College — where she quickly discovered that business classes did not in any way enthrall her. Switching to more involving courses such as history and literature, she also began to concentrate on writing, which had been a longtime interest. Very quickly hooked, she asked for a Christmas typewriter and began seriously working on her first novel. That book, a Regency romance titled Lady Thief, sold to Dell Publishing in 1980. She has since published more than 60 novels and four novellas.
Kay is single and lives in a very small town in North Carolina, not far from her father and siblings. Deigning to live with her are a flock of cats — Bonnie, Ginger, Oscar, Tuffy, Felix, Renny, and Isabel — of various personalities who all like sleeping on manuscripts and whatever research happens to be spread across Kay's desk. And living amongst the many felines are two cheerfully tolerant dogs, a shelter rescue, Bandit, who looks rather like a small sheepdog, and a Sheltie named Lizzie.
The oldest of three children, Kay has a brother two years younger and a sister seven years younger. Her father and brother are builders who own a highly respected construction company, and her mother worked for many years in personnel management before becoming Kay's personal assistant, a position she held until her untimely death in March 2002. Kay's sister Linda works as her Business Manager, Events Coordinator, and is playing a major role in the creation and operation of The Kay Hooper Foundation.
Kay graduated from East Rutherford High School and attended Isothermal Community College — where she quickly discovered that business classes did not in any way enthrall her. Switching to more involving courses such as history and literature, she also began to concentrate on writing, which had been a longtime interest. Very quickly hooked, she asked for a Christmas typewriter and began seriously working on her first novel. That book, a Regency romance titled Lady Thief, sold to Dell Publishing in 1980. She has since published more than 60 novels and four novellas.
Kay is single and lives in a very small town in North Carolina, not far from her father and siblings. Deigning to live with her are a flock of cats — Bonnie, Ginger, Oscar, Tuffy, Felix, Renny, and Isabel — of various personalities who all like sleeping on manuscripts and whatever research happens to be spread across Kay's desk. And living amongst the many felines are two cheerfully tolerant dogs, a shelter rescue, Bandit, who looks rather like a small sheepdog, and a Sheltie named Lizzie.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 31, 2018
This starts out with a little introduction to the Delaney family, which having started in the middle of the series, I knew nothing about, so I appreciated that. Then we see that three sisters, Addie being one of them, are trying to accomplish some mission (presumably to make money to save their sheep station). Each of them has a gift and Addie's is charming animals. She puts this to use by racing horses as a jockey. While doing this, she meets Shane Marston, an American horse breeder. He is instantly enchanted with her and her magical aura and all the things she can do so perfectly. But Shane doesn't like seeing this seemingly fragile woman race horses because he knows how dangerous it can be. But the two fall in love and Addie swore she'd race for the money - and she won't break that promise. So she puts Shane through trauma racing and he tries his best not to show his hurt.
This is a bit of a suspense story, as well as a romance. Addie is definitely quite Mary Sue - she's like a fairy princess the way she talks to animals, she's a jack of all trades, everybody is in love with her and she's got backbone. She instantly connects to Shane, and other than the whole racing causing Shane nightmares, there really isn't much angst in their relationship. Shane is the prude in the relationship who thinks if he holds Addie at a distance, he'll be able to handle her need to race. But there is no doubt they love each other by the 50% mark of the story. Then they're just trying to make it work. In the meantime, someone is trying to prevent Addie and her horse from racing using nefarious means. But of course, Addie can't quit. So that's where the suspense comes in. They're trying to figure out who the dastardly villain is while dealing with Shane's hang ups about racing and Addie's determination. It's kinda average. This didn't thrill me much and was a bit tough to get through. Mostly this made me want to watch Secretariat.
This is a bit of a suspense story, as well as a romance. Addie is definitely quite Mary Sue - she's like a fairy princess the way she talks to animals, she's a jack of all trades, everybody is in love with her and she's got backbone. She instantly connects to Shane, and other than the whole racing causing Shane nightmares, there really isn't much angst in their relationship. Shane is the prude in the relationship who thinks if he holds Addie at a distance, he'll be able to handle her need to race. But there is no doubt they love each other by the 50% mark of the story. Then they're just trying to make it work. In the meantime, someone is trying to prevent Addie and her horse from racing using nefarious means. But of course, Addie can't quit. So that's where the suspense comes in. They're trying to figure out who the dastardly villain is while dealing with Shane's hang ups about racing and Addie's determination. It's kinda average. This didn't thrill me much and was a bit tough to get through. Mostly this made me want to watch Secretariat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2017
"Adelaide, The Enchantress" is the story of Addie and Shane.
Shane Marston, a champion horse breeder from America finds himself entraced by a redhead in Australia- to a point he cannot look away from her.
Adelaide is the second of the Delaney sisters, and has to compete in the racing championship to win enough money to save her family, with her pet Koala and racehorse named Resolute.
Soon Shane and Addie find themselves fighting a burning attraction, while someone has it out for sabotaging Addie and Resolute..
Crazy obsessive hero who actually worships the heroine, treats and thinks of her as a goddess, yet never imposes his will on her- strong, loving heroine who is a confident and hardworking woman- two leads who dont shy from passion or ILU's.
Lovely story and really liked the epilogue with Rafe and Maggie.
Safe
3.5/5
Shane Marston, a champion horse breeder from America finds himself entraced by a redhead in Australia- to a point he cannot look away from her.
Adelaide is the second of the Delaney sisters, and has to compete in the racing championship to win enough money to save her family, with her pet Koala and racehorse named Resolute.
Soon Shane and Addie find themselves fighting a burning attraction, while someone has it out for sabotaging Addie and Resolute..
Crazy obsessive hero who actually worships the heroine, treats and thinks of her as a goddess, yet never imposes his will on her- strong, loving heroine who is a confident and hardworking woman- two leads who dont shy from passion or ILU's.
Lovely story and really liked the epilogue with Rafe and Maggie.
Safe
3.5/5
September 24, 2017
A slight series romance, originally published in 1987 and now available as an ebook. Styles in romance have changed in the last thirty years, as have sexual relations, but this holds up reasonably well. Nothing special, but a light, quick read. Bonus for readers who like horse racing.
March 4, 2024
Adelaide, The Enchantress is a good fit for readers looking for a mix of romance and adventure, centered around a strong-willed female character pursuing her dreams despite challenges and the presence of a compelling love interest.
October 10, 2017
Adelaide, the Enchantress is book 1 of the Delaneys of Killaroo series by Kate Hooper. This book was first published in 1987 and it reflects it. Not saying that I didn’t enjoy it, I did, but I was taken down memory lane. I was 10 years old in 1987 and was not yet reading romance novels. That came about 4 years later. I have a very distinct memory of my grandmother reading bodice rippers. I have a very distinct memory of my grandfather getting mad at her for reading one in front of me. Why? Because seeing a half-naked man embracing a half-naked woman on the cover of the book might corrupt me. I laugh now but I can see why he thought that and why he strove to keep these types of books out of my sight.
Adelaide is a jockey who is set on racing her young stallion, Resolute, at the Melbourne Cup. She needs that money to help her father. She meets an American horse breeder, Shane Marston. Shane is dragged into a mystery with Addie, as Resolute is the target of sabotage. That sabotage leads to attempts at harm against Addie and Resolute. Addie and Shane are trying to figure out who wants to harm Resolute. While they are doing this they are giving in to their mutual attraction. That made for a very sensual book with a lot of mystery and thrills.
I liked Addie. She had almost a psychic connection with horses. She could get through to any horse that she rode. She also had a pet koala, which was adorable. Actually, Sebastian was more of Resolute’s pet then Addie’s. He used Addie as a ride to get to his horse…lol. The mystery about who was trying to harm Resolute bothered her because she didn’t know who it could be. It could have been anyone at the track, even those she trusted.
Shane wasn’t expecting to be poleaxed by his attraction to Addie. He was thrown for a loop when he saw Addie. He did give off a slight stalkerish vibe that went away about mid-book. I didn’t understand why he got so upset with Addie when she wouldn’t listen to him about stop being a jockey. When he explained, though, my annoyance with him went away. If someone I loved died that way, I would have acted the same way.
The sex between Shane and Addie was great. The author didn’t get very wordy with it, instead focusing on emotions. I did think that it came across as a little hokey when the experience was written as almost mystical. That whole scene with the deer was a little far out. But, I liked it. I also liked the romance part of the book. I will warn you like I said above, this book was written in 1987 and the romance part of the book reflects that. A little hokey (again that term!!) but very sweet. For those of you who don’t like Instalove (I am one of them), Shane and Addie’s romance is most definitely that. They knew each other for a week before expressing their never-ending love for each other. But, who am I to knock it. It worked in this book.
The end of the book felt a little rushed and again, a little dated. If what happened at the end of the book happened these days, that person would have been hauled off to jail. But that is why I liked this book so much. Because it was a throwback and it made me think of days that were more innocent than these days. The epilogue did make me smile too.
4 stars
My Summary of Adelaide, the Enchantress:
I enjoyed reading Adelaide, the Enchantress. It was a quick read and had everything a good romance needs. But, even more than that, I liked the plot. The main characters were relatable and that goes a long way towards me liking the book. I did think that having it be Instalove was a little hokey but it didn’t ruin the book for me. Actually, it made me like it even more.
Will I reread: Yes
Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes
Age range: Older Teen
Why: Mild language, mild sexual situations, and mild language
I would like to thank Kay Hopper, Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Adelaide, the Enchantress
All opinions stated in this review of Adelaide, the Enchantress are mine. I also did not receive any compensation for this review.
**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**
Adelaide is a jockey who is set on racing her young stallion, Resolute, at the Melbourne Cup. She needs that money to help her father. She meets an American horse breeder, Shane Marston. Shane is dragged into a mystery with Addie, as Resolute is the target of sabotage. That sabotage leads to attempts at harm against Addie and Resolute. Addie and Shane are trying to figure out who wants to harm Resolute. While they are doing this they are giving in to their mutual attraction. That made for a very sensual book with a lot of mystery and thrills.
I liked Addie. She had almost a psychic connection with horses. She could get through to any horse that she rode. She also had a pet koala, which was adorable. Actually, Sebastian was more of Resolute’s pet then Addie’s. He used Addie as a ride to get to his horse…lol. The mystery about who was trying to harm Resolute bothered her because she didn’t know who it could be. It could have been anyone at the track, even those she trusted.
Shane wasn’t expecting to be poleaxed by his attraction to Addie. He was thrown for a loop when he saw Addie. He did give off a slight stalkerish vibe that went away about mid-book. I didn’t understand why he got so upset with Addie when she wouldn’t listen to him about stop being a jockey. When he explained, though, my annoyance with him went away. If someone I loved died that way, I would have acted the same way.
The sex between Shane and Addie was great. The author didn’t get very wordy with it, instead focusing on emotions. I did think that it came across as a little hokey when the experience was written as almost mystical. That whole scene with the deer was a little far out. But, I liked it. I also liked the romance part of the book. I will warn you like I said above, this book was written in 1987 and the romance part of the book reflects that. A little hokey (again that term!!) but very sweet. For those of you who don’t like Instalove (I am one of them), Shane and Addie’s romance is most definitely that. They knew each other for a week before expressing their never-ending love for each other. But, who am I to knock it. It worked in this book.
The end of the book felt a little rushed and again, a little dated. If what happened at the end of the book happened these days, that person would have been hauled off to jail. But that is why I liked this book so much. Because it was a throwback and it made me think of days that were more innocent than these days. The epilogue did make me smile too.
4 stars
My Summary of Adelaide, the Enchantress:
I enjoyed reading Adelaide, the Enchantress. It was a quick read and had everything a good romance needs. But, even more than that, I liked the plot. The main characters were relatable and that goes a long way towards me liking the book. I did think that having it be Instalove was a little hokey but it didn’t ruin the book for me. Actually, it made me like it even more.
Will I reread: Yes
Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes
Age range: Older Teen
Why: Mild language, mild sexual situations, and mild language
I would like to thank Kay Hopper, Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Adelaide, the Enchantress
All opinions stated in this review of Adelaide, the Enchantress are mine. I also did not receive any compensation for this review.
**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**
January 7, 2018
Old Shamus Delaney was the man who began the Delaney/Shamrock empire. His grandson wild William began a branch of the family in Australia that no one knew about even William himself. William's great-great-granddaughters are part of the missing family legacy. Sidney Manda and Adelaide are in desperate need of money to buy back a part of Killaroo Station that their father had to sell for financial reasons and they have only 2 months to make the money. Addie as she likes to be called is a blacksmith and jockey who breaks her promise to her father not to race any more on horses that she doesn't own. Resolute her grey stallion is her best chance to win the Melbourne Cup the top race in Australia. In the middle of her racing she meets a Yank named Shane Marston. Shane is curious about this horse he sees with a koala bear riding on his back and that is his first glimpse of Addie. He can't get over how small and delicate she seems to be and that she can handle such temperamental animals. He soon figures out that there is a steel under what he sees a fragile woman. Shane has a fear of Addie being hurt and maybe dying because of her racing due to a family tragedy years before. When someone starts coming after Resolute so that he can't run in the big race Addie and Shane along with her 2 sisters hatch a plan to draw out the person. Throughout the whole process Shane and Adelaide keep getting closer. Addie wears a pendant around her neck that Shane seems to have a nagging feeling about. When Addie confides in him her secret and later they talk about her family history the conversation he had with his good friend Rafe Delaney some time ago comes back to him and he realizes what had been bothering him about the pendant. Adelaide: The Enchantress is the 4th book in the Delaney/Shamrock Trinity series and the 1st book in the Delaney's of Killaroo.
October 8, 2017
She’s a sorceress, a siren, an enchantress with the voice of an angel that makes men willing to slay dragons and the most skittish wild animal yearn for her touch. At least that’s the way Shane felt the first time he saw Addie and heard her bewitching voice. Shane is a horseman from Kentucky who travels to Australia to take in the horse racing scene and finds himself taken with Adelaide Delaney instead. While Addie is charmed and captivated by Shane, the well-being of her family depends on Addie’s focus remaining on jockeying for as many horse owners and winning as many races as possible. She can’t afford a distraction like Shane, no matter how charismatic and appealing he may be.
Not long ago I had the chance to read “Rafe,” the first in the Delaney brothers series, The Shamrock Trinity, so when I saw the first book in the parallel series, The Delaneys of Kilaroo, I had to request an advance copy. Shane and Addie’s story is every bit as captivating, entertaining and endearing as Rafe and Maggie’s was, and I love the thread of family history that runs through the books. As we would expect from Ms. Hooper, the writing is masterful with picturesque scenes and an intriguing storyline, and the characters are vivid, complex, winsome and irresistible. The books are all standalone, so it won’t much matter the order in which they’re read, but you’ll want to read each of the Delaney’s stories!
Not long ago I had the chance to read “Rafe,” the first in the Delaney brothers series, The Shamrock Trinity, so when I saw the first book in the parallel series, The Delaneys of Kilaroo, I had to request an advance copy. Shane and Addie’s story is every bit as captivating, entertaining and endearing as Rafe and Maggie’s was, and I love the thread of family history that runs through the books. As we would expect from Ms. Hooper, the writing is masterful with picturesque scenes and an intriguing storyline, and the characters are vivid, complex, winsome and irresistible. The books are all standalone, so it won’t much matter the order in which they’re read, but you’ll want to read each of the Delaney’s stories!
November 8, 2017
Adelaide Delaney has a pact with her family to do her part for the money and meets Shane at the racetrack. This is part of the Delaney of Killaroo series with the female Delaney relatives from down under. Read this when originally published years ago and have the trilogy on the book shelf with many re-reads. Excited to have the ebook copy to enjoy again from this author. Be sure to read all the Delaney girl's stories and see how the North American Delaney's interact.
Ebook from Net Galley and publishers with thanks Opinions are entirely my own.
Ebook from Net Galley and publishers with thanks Opinions are entirely my own.
October 29, 2017
im so glad I took the time to read this gem! It's not like the romances are today, and im okay with that sometimes you need a break from all graphic scenes and come back to our roots this is what we started on, and enjoyed for many years, I might have to take a longer break and find some more of this remastered diamonds!
September 25, 2017
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest book. Originally published in the 80's this book is being re-released and I am not sure why exactly. It does not stand the test of time, in my opinion.
October 9, 2017
Not a favorite of mine. The romance genre has changed immensely over the last 30 years so I was hoping this republication would have been updated greatly since it's original 1987 form. If it was I couldn't tell. It read very old and dated.
October 19, 2017
AN oldie but a goodie. Given an arc to me by Netgalley. I'm a big Kay Hooper fan and somehow this book got by me in the past. Glad I was given the opportunity to read it now.
November 1, 2017
I had a difficult time relating to the characters and did not even finish the book.
September 30, 2017
3.5 stars - This was a pretty decent read.
What I liked:
I enjoyed the characters and thought the heroine was loyal, strong and courageous but also mostly cautious. The hero was everything you'd expect him to be - handsome, loyal, protective.
What didn't quite work for me:
Is Adelaide supposed to have magical powers? It seemed like maybe, but I was never sure. The author seems to be walking a tightrope between contemporary romance and fantasy, but the fantasy was never fully embraced. The end result is a story that doesn't seem sure-footed. Also, considering everything that is going on in Addie's life she seems far to trusting of Shane, someone she just met who appears to be friends with the man who has been hounding her for years. Finally, the ending didn't quite work for me. I think the author was trying to cue up interest for the next book in the series, but needed another scene or two to make it flow well.
All in all it’s not a bad read, but also not going to blow you away.
I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.
What I liked:
I enjoyed the characters and thought the heroine was loyal, strong and courageous but also mostly cautious. The hero was everything you'd expect him to be - handsome, loyal, protective.
What didn't quite work for me:
Is Adelaide supposed to have magical powers? It seemed like maybe, but I was never sure. The author seems to be walking a tightrope between contemporary romance and fantasy, but the fantasy was never fully embraced. The end result is a story that doesn't seem sure-footed. Also, considering everything that is going on in Addie's life she seems far to trusting of Shane, someone she just met who appears to be friends with the man who has been hounding her for years. Finally, the ending didn't quite work for me. I think the author was trying to cue up interest for the next book in the series, but needed another scene or two to make it flow well.
All in all it’s not a bad read, but also not going to blow you away.
I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.
May 18, 2012
สามสาวเดลานีย์
July 24, 2012
it was ok liked it but could have better
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