Johanna Lindsey’s LOVE ONLY ONCE - The First of the Rogues and a Good Beginning to the Malory Saga

In this first in the Malory series, we meet Lord Edward and Lady Charlotte Malory and the whole family of brothers and uncles and their beautiful, much-loved cousin, Regina Ashton. (Despite this is a Regency, it is listed on Amazon as a medieval romance!)

 

Reggie knows that at 19, it's time for her to marry, and though she has many suitors and dozens of offers, none of her uncles can agree on a man. So, she lingers on the vine, bored with the whole social scene.

 

When Viscount Nicholas Eden, a rake who seduces even innocents, kidnaps her in a case of mistaken identity, Reggie doesn't resist when her uncles insist Nick must marry her because he has ruined her. Nicholas Eden will marry no woman even though he lusts after Reggie. So, forced into an engagement, he seduces her and then tries to get her to break their engagement. What a cad! But she won't do it, no matter how bad he treats her. She wants him and she has a reason to marry.

In real life, a philanderer like Nick would never be faithful after marriage. A perfect example is Richard Burton, who though he loved Elizabeth Taylor passionately every day of his life after he met her, couldn't be faithful. (It caused their two divorces.) I was reminded of them because Lindsey's description of Reggie is a young Elizabeth Taylor. But ah...this is romance, so the rogues and philanderers can reform and become faithful husbands!

This is no sweeping saga, nor any great story of sweeping passion, and yet, it’s an entertaining read and a good beginning to the popular Malory series.

Here's the series:

Love Only Once (Reggie and Nick)

Tender Rebel (Roslyn and Anthony)
Gentle Rogue (James and Georgina)
The Magic of You (Amy and Warren)
Say You Love Me (Kelsey and Derek)
The Present: The Malory Holiday Novel
A Loving Scoundrel (Danny and Jeremy, James' son)
Captive of My Desires (Gabrielle and Drew)
No Choice But Seduction (Boyd and Katey)
That Perfect Someone (Richard and Julia)

 

 

Johanna Lindsey’s ONE HEART TO WIN – Handsome Cowboy for a New York Girl

 

Set in Montana in the last half of the 19^th century, this is the story of Tiffany Warren, a young lady of New York who was betrothed to a son of a rancher when she was quite young to end a feud between two families. She wants no part of it but is willing to go there for two months to see her intended, Hunter, the eldest son of the Callahans, the enemies of the Warrens.

On the way, Tiffany experiences a train robbery and then is accosted by the Callahans who think she is the Warrens’ new housekeeper and offer her double wages to work for them. Tiffany accepts in order to secretly assess the man she is supposed to marry. She finds Hunter Callahan to be a charming, sexy cowboy who she vows to resist. However, she doesn’t resist Hunter’s charms for long. They end up in bed in a hayloft. So much for propriety. Apparently ignorant of how that behavior can lead to being with child, Tiffany rebuffs his proposal.

 

It’s a fun read but not my favorite by Lindsey. Hunter is a charmer whose intensions aren’t all bad. He’s a good older brother and good in a fight. The feud between the families seems real enough but Tiffany’s disdain for her father (who actually loves her) seemed a tad contrived. No, he wasn’t in her life but then that was by her mother’s choice. There is a mystery that is resolved in the end, rather quickly. The two love scenes were rushed and strong-willed Tiffany melted whenever Hunter approached. Still, it will bring you to the West and some handsome cowboys.

Johanna Lindsey’s A ROGUE OF MY OWN – Queen’s Maid of Honor forced to Marry a Rogue

Set in the Victorian era, this is the story of Lady Rebecca Marshall, whose mother gets her a position as maid of honor at the court of Queen Victoria. Rebecca finds herself between a nasty roommate and a noblewoman who uses the maids as courtly spies. Worse, she is attracted to Marquis Rupert St. John, an agent  secret agent of the crown who leads a double life.

 

Naïve Rebecca makes a dumb move and ends up in his bedchamber where Rupert seduces her. He’s sleeping with half the court but only Rebecca ends up pregnant. She confronts him and he marries her but believes she set a trap to force him to do just that. Anger eventually turns into love.

 

It’s an engaging tale though not Lindsey’s best. The plot is a bit skimpy and the back and forth arguments between Rebecca and Rupert do get a tad old. Still, it has the Lindsey magic that will keep you turning pages.

 

 

Johanna Lindsey’s A HEART SO WILD - Well-told Saga with Indians, Gunslingers and the Dangers of the American West!

This is the first of two novels about the Stratton family in 19th century Texas. At that time, Texas was a rough place bringing together gunmen, cowboys, ranchers and Indians. Many who had lived through the destruction of the Civil War looked to the West for a better life. Courtney Harte's father, a doctor and a Southerner (who ended up on the North's side), was one of them. Now disillusioned, he decides to move to Texas. 

 

On the way there, in Kansas, they are attacked by Comanches seeking vengeance for a massacre of their people that occurred years before. Courtney's life is spared by a blue-eyed Indian. Thinking her father dead, she stays on to live in Kansas until one day she sees a newspaper photo from Texas and her father is in the background. Courtney decides to hire a gunman to take her to Texas. She chooses Chandos, a ruthless gunslinger.

 

There are many themes in this romance that Lindsey presents well. First there is the bias against Indians and the way they were treated (though Lindsey recognizes cruelty on both sides). Then there is the fact the West held many dangers, especially for young, beautiful unmarried women. Courtney grows up as she faces danger and rises to various challenges with great courage. Lastly there is the tension that comes from a strong-willed father and an equally strong son, a rebel caught between two worlds.

 

The dialog is very believable and presents a man of few words and a woman of many. I enjoyed their interaction and the chemistry between them was exceptional. I have since read the sequel, All I Need Is You, and it's not as good. I have read others by Lindsey (and gave 5 stars to Hearts Aflame and Savage Thunder).

 

I really liked this one and recommend it.

Johanna Lindsey’s LOVE ONLY ONCE - The First of the Rogues and a Good Beginning to the Malory Saga

In this first in the Malory series, we meet Lord Edward and Lady Charlotte Malory and the whole family of brothers and uncles and their beautiful, much-loved cousin, Regina Ashton. Reggie knows that at 19, it's time for her to marry, and though she has many suitors and dozens of offers, none of her uncles can agree on a man. So, she lingers on the vine, bored with the whole social scene.

 

When Viscount Nicholas Eden, a rake who seduces even innocents, kidnaps her in a case of mistaken identity, Reggie doesn't resist when her uncles insist Nick must marry her because he has ruined her. Nicholas Eden will marry no woman even though he lusts after Reggie. So, forced into an engagement, he seduces her and then tries to get her to break their engagement. What a cad! But she won't do it, no matter how bad he treats her. She wants him and she has a reason to marry.

In real life, a philanderer like Nick would never be faithful after marriage. A perfect example is Richard Burton, who though he loved Elizabeth Taylor passionately every day of his life after he met her, couldn't be faithful. (It caused their two divorces.) I was reminded of them because Lindsey's description of Reggie is a young Elizabeth Taylor. But ah...this is romance, so the rogues and philanderers can reform and become faithful husbands!

This is no sweeping saga, nor any great story of sweeping passion, and yet, it’s an entertaining read and a good beginning to the popular Malory series.

Here's the series:

Love Only Once (Reggie and Nick)

Tender Rebel (Roslyn and Anthony)
Gentle Rogue (James and Georgina)
The Magic of You (Amy and Warren)
Say You Love Me (Kelsey and Derek)
The Present: The Malory Holiday Novel
A Loving Scoundrel (Danny and Jeremy, James' son)
Captive of My Desires (Gabrielle and Drew)
No Choice But Seduction (Boyd and Katey)
That Perfect Someone (Richard and Julia)

 

Johanna Lindsey’s A PIRATE’S LOVE – A Privateer and the Woman He Seized

Set in the 17^th century beginning in France in1667, this is the story of Tristan Matisse whose family was brutally slain by a Spaniard who plundered the coastal towns of France, and Bettina Verlaine, who was betrothed by her father to a wealthy count living in St. Martin. On her way to meet her betrothed, who she does not know, Bettina’s ship is seized by the privateer Tristan who sails for England plundering Spanish ships.

 

From the beginning, it is clear that Tristan intends to have Bettina in his bed. He considers her spoils, no matter she is an innocent. And high-spirited Bettina will have none of it, so he rapes her. Though he told her he was taking her to St. Martin for ransom by her wealthy betrothed, he decides instead to take her to his island hideout and keep her some months until he “tires of her.” What quickly becomes apparent is that he has no intention of letting her go. While he holds Bettina, he searches for the man who killed his family, Don Miguel Bastida.

 

Lindsey does a superb job of describing the emotions experienced by Bettina—she could not give in to the pleasure she might experience with Tristan because to do so would be to betray her betrothed. She was feisty and courageous and I loved her. While it was a bit difficult to understand Tristan’s comfort with his own actions given his childhood, somehow Lindsey made us believe it was possible. And I came to like Tristan in spite of his treatment of Bettina, for he genuinely cared for her. Eventually, his more noble side comes out, and even Bettina, who has suffered his “ruining her life,” comes to see it.

 

There are many well drawn characters along the way, including Jules, the man who watches Tristan’s back, and Bettina’s mother who confesses to Bettina the cold man she thought was her father actually is not. Lindsey makes this an exciting tale with subplots and twists and turns—and the visits to many ports in the Caribbean. She had me turning pages late into the night.

 

It’s on both my Best Bodice Rippers and my Best Pirate and Privateer Romances lists. A keeper!

 

Johanna Lindsey’s ONE HEART TO WIN – Handsome Cowboy for a New York Girl

Set in Montana in the last half of the 19^th century, this is the story of Tiffany Warren, a young lady of New York who was betrothed to a son of a rancher when she was quite young to end a feud between two families. She wants no part of it but is willing to go there for two months to see her intended, Hunter, the eldest son of the Callahan.

On the way, Tiffany experiences a train robbery and then is accosted by the Callahans who think she is the Warrens’ new housekeeper and offer her double wages to work for them. Tiffany accepts in order to secretly assess the man she is supposed to marry. She finds Hunter Callahan to be a charming, sexy cowboy who she vows to resist. However, she doesn’t resist Hunter’s charms for long. They end up in bed in a hayloft. So much for propriety. Apparently ignorant of how that behavior can lead to being with child, Tiffany rebuffs his proposal.

 

It’s a fun read but not my favorite by Lindsey. Hunter is a charmer whose intensions aren’t all bad. He’s a good older brother and good in a fight. The feud between the families seems real enough but Tiffany’s disdain for her father (who actually loves her) seemed a tad contrived. No, he wasn’t in her life but then that was by her mother’s choice. There is a mystery that is resolved in the end, rather quickly. The two love scenes were rushed and strong-willed Tiffany melted whenever Hunter approached. Still, it will bring you to the West and some handsome cowboys.

Johanna Lindsey’s A PIRATE’S LOVE – A Privateer and the Woman He Seized

Set in the 17^th century beginning in France in1667, this is the story of Tristan Matisse whose family was brutally slain by a Spaniard who plundered the coastal towns of France, and Bettina Verlaine, who was betrothed by her father to a wealthy count living in St. Martin. On her way to meet her betrothed, who she does not know, Bettina’s ship is seized by the privateer Tristan who sails for England plundering Spanish ships.

 

From the beginning, it is clear that Tristan intends to have Bettina in his bed. He considers her spoils, no matter she is an innocent. And high-spirited Bettina will have none of it, so he rapes her. Though he told her he was taking her to St. Martin for ransom by her wealthy betrothed, he decides instead to take her to his island hideout and keep her some months until he “tires of her.” What quickly becomes apparent is that he has no intention of letting her go. While he holds Bettina, he searches for the man who killed his family, Don Miguel Bastida.

 

Lindsey does a superb job of describing the emotions experienced by Bettina—she could not give in to the pleasure she might experience with Tristan because to do so would be to betray her betrothed. She was feisty and courageous and I loved her. While it was a bit difficult to understand Tristan’s comfort with his own actions given his childhood, somehow Lindsey made us believe it was possible. And I came to like Tristan in spite of his treatment of Bettina, for he genuinely cared for her. Eventually, his more noble side comes out, and even Bettina, who has suffered his “ruining her life,” comes to see it.

 

There are many well drawn characters along the way, including Jules, the man who watches Tristan’s back, and Bettina’s mother who confesses to Bettina the cold man she thought was her father actually is not. Lindsey makes this an exciting tale with subplots and twists and turns—and the visits to many ports in the Caribbean. She had me turning pages late into the night.

Johanna Lindsey’s GENTLE ROGUE: A Rogue Pirate and a Viscount

Set in 1818, the Regency period, this 3^rd in Lindsey’s Malory series is a worthy read. After all, it’s got a handsome hunk, a pirate and love on the high seas (some of my favorite stuff!).

James Mallory was a pirate for some time. Though now reformed and a Viscount, he still sails the seas when he gets the urge. And, he is still a rake. Seducing women, even virgins, is fair game for him. So, when he realizes that the enticing girl he encountered in a tavern dressed as a lad has just boarded his ship disguised as a boy named Georgie, he decides to make her his cabin boy with the idea of getting her into his bed. No concern she might be an innocent (and there is much evidence of that), or that having seduced her, he might hurt her or worse--get her pregnant (we're talking months at sea...). No, that wouldn't bother him. After all, he already has one bastard he knows of, his 17-year-old son Jeremy, and he routinely seduces married women. In fact, he has a very low opinion of women just because they are so easy to seduce. At that point, I just wanted to flatten the cad. And, make no mistake he is a cad.

 

When James' ship arrives in Jamaica, and Georgie goes to her brother's ship, docked in the next berth, she acknowledges to herself she is in love with the rake and that she is also pregnant. But she is realistic enough, even at 22, to know the confirmed bachelor means it when he says he'll not marry. So when her brother's ship sails away to New England, leaving her no time to tell James good-bye, she resigns herself to going home alone. Now, if this were real life, she'd never hear from James again, right? Ah, but this is a Johanna Lindsey romance. Sooooo, there will be more story and a happy ending. Call that fantasy perhaps, but it works well here.

A great installment in the Mallory series, even if you do have to suspend belief to accept that Georgie could be that naïve and that a jaded reprobate like James could actually have a heart. The book reads well and keeps up a fast pace. And I love the Malory banter. At least half of the story occurs at sea on James' ship. The rest takes place in London and New England. I recommend it.

Johanna Lindsey’s HEARTS AFLAME – Superb Viking-Saxon Romance—a Keeper!

Hearts Aflame is the second in the Haardrad Viking family trilogy, but it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone. It is quite wonderful--an engaging story and well-told. In a bit of a twist, it’s a Saxon lord capturing a Viking maiden.

 

Set in the late 9th century when Vikings sailed south to England, Scotland and Ireland to raid, it tells the story of Kristen Haardrad, the independent, strong-willed and much loved daughter of a wealthy Viking merchant (whose story is told in book #1). Having spurned her many suitors because she can find no spark of love with any of them, Kristen stows away on her brother's ship believing he is headed to the southern coastal towns for trade where she hopes to find a husband. But her brother is not sailing to trade, but rather to raid. And he is not pleased when he discovers his sister is aboard his ship. Still, he proceeds with his plans.

 

All goes awry when Kristen is captured and made the slave of the Saxon lord, Royce of Wyndhurst, a favored warrior of King Alfred.

 

Royce is a tough but fair leader who is betrothed to a manipulating female he doesn't really want. He fights his attraction to his beautiful Viking slave, but Kristen, who has finally met a man who stirs her passion, has decided he is her "heartmate" and she will have no other. Royce wants her in his bed, but Kristen is proud and determined to win his heart.

 

Lindsey keeps you intrigued with rich characters, snappy (and sometimes funny) dialog, great action scenes and wonderfully believable tension between Kristen and Royce. I loved this story. It's definitely a keeper!

 

The Haardrad Viking trilogy:

 

Fires of Winter

Hearts Aflame

Surrender My Love

Johanna Lindsey’s A HEART SO WILD - Well-told Saga with Indians, Gunslingers and the Dangers of the American West!

This is the first of two novels about the Stratton family in 19th century Texas. At that time, Texas was a rough place bringing together gunmen, cowboys, ranchers and Indians. Many who had lived through the destruction of the Civil War looked to the West for a better life. Courtney Harte's father, a doctor and a Southerner (who ended up on the North's side), was one of them. Now disillusioned, he decides to move to Texas. On the way there, in Kansas, they are attacked by Comanches seeking vengeance for a massacre of their people that occurred years before. Courtney's life is spared by a blue-eyed Indian. Thinking her father dead, she stays on to live in Kansas until one day she sees a newspaper photo from Texas and her father is in the background. Courtney decides to hire a gunman to take her to Texas. She chooses Chandos, a ruthless gunslinger.

There are many themes in this romance that Lindsey presents well. First, there is the bias against Indians and the way they were treated (though Lindsey recognizes cruelty on both sides). Then there is the fact the West held many dangers, especially for young, beautiful unmarried women. Courtney grows up as she faces danger and rises to various challenges with great courage. Lastly, there is the tension that comes from a strong-willed father and an equally strong son, a rebel caught between two worlds.

The dialog is very believable and presents a man of few words and a woman of many. I enjoyed their interaction and the chemistry between them was exceptional. I have since read the sequel, All I Need Is You, and it's not as good. I have read others by Lindsey (and gave 5 stars to Hearts Aflame and Savage Thunder).

I really liked this one and recommend it.

Johanna Lindsey’s GENTLE ROGUE: A Rogue Pirate and a Viscount

Set in 1818, the Regency period, this 3^rd in Lindsey’s Malory series is a worthy read. After all, it’s got a handsome hunk, a pirate and love on the high seas (some of my favorite stuff!).

James Mallory was a pirate for some time. Though now reformed and a Viscount, he still sails the seas when he gets the urge. And, he is still a rake. Seducing women, even virgins, is fair game for him. So, when he realizes that the enticing girl he encountered in a tavern dressed as a lad has just boarded his ship disguised as a boy named Georgie, he decides to make her his cabin boy with the idea of getting her into his bed. No concern she might be an innocent (and there is much evidence of that), or that having seduced her, he might hurt her or worse--get her pregnant (we're talking months at sea...). No, that wouldn't bother him. After all, he already has one bastard he knows of, his 17-year-old son Jeremy, and he routinely seduces married women. In fact, he has a very low opinion of women just because they are so easy to seduce. At that point, I just wanted to flatten the cad. And, make no mistake he is a cad.

When James' ship arrives in Jamaica, and Georgie goes to her brother's ship, docked in the next berth, she acknowledges to herself she is in love with the rake and that she is also pregnant. But she is realistic enough, even at 22, to know the confirmed bachelor means it when he says he'll not marry. So when her brother's ship sails away to New England, leaving her no time to tell James good-bye, she resigns herself to going home alone. Now, if this were real life, she'd never hear from James again, right? Ah, but this is a Johanna Lindsey romance. Sooooo, there will be more story and a happy ending. Call that fantasy perhaps, but it works well here.

A great installment in the Mallory series, even if you do have to suspend belief to accept that Georgie could be that naïve and that a jaded reprobate like James could actually have a heart. The book reads well and keeps up a fast pace. And I love the Malory banter. At least half of the story occurs at sea on James' ship. The rest takes place in London and New England. I recommend it.

Johanna Lindsey’s A PIRATE’S LOVE – a Privateer and the Woman He Seized

Set in the 17^th century beginning in France in1667, this is the story of Tristan Matisse whose family was brutally slain by a Spaniard who plundered the coastal towns of France, and Bettina Verlaine, who was betrothed by her father to a wealthy count living in St. Martin. On her way to meet her betrothed, who she does not know, Bettina’s ship is seized by the privateer Tristan who sails for England plundering Spanish ships.

From the beginning, it is clear that Tristan intends to have Bettina in his bed. He considers her spoils, no matter she is an innocent. And high-spirited Bettina will have none of it, so he rapes her. Though he told her he was taking her to St. Martin for ransom by her wealthy betrothed, he decides instead to take her to his island hideout and keep her some months until he “tires of her.” What quickly becomes apparent is that he has no intention of letting her go. While he holds Bettina, he searches for the man who killed his family, Don Miguel Bastida.

Lindsey does a superb job of describing the emotions experienced by Bettina—she could not give in to the pleasure she might experience with Tristan because to do so would be to betray her betrothed. She was feisty and courageous and I loved her. While it was a bit difficult to understand Tristan’s comfort with his own actions given his childhood, somehow Lindsey made us believe it was possible. And I came to like Tristan in spite of his treatment of Bettina, for he genuinely cared for her. Eventually, his more noble side comes out, and even Bettina, who has suffered his “ruining her life,” comes to see it.

There are many well drawn characters along the way, including Jules, the man who watches Tristan’s back, and Bettina’s mother who confesses to Bettina the cold man she thought was her father actually is not. Lindsey makes this an exciting tale with subplots and twists and turns—and the visits to many ports in the Caribbean. She had me turning pages late into the night.

It’s on both my Best Bodice Rippers and my Best Pirate and Privateer Romances lists. A keeper!

Johanna Lindsey’s PRISONER OF MY DESIRE – Not Your Ordinary Medieval Romance—a Bodice Ripper that Turns the Tables!

While not to everyone’s taste, I found this an exciting read. Set in England in 1152, it is the story of Warrick de Chaville, Lord Fulkhurst, a fierce knight who learned at a young age to take revenge on any who harmed him. So he would take his revenge on the woman who captured him, had him chained to a bed and forced herself on him, stealing his seed. Little did he know that Rowena Belleme, Lady of Tures, was herself forced to use him, a man she thought a slave, to produce an heir for the old lord she was forced to wed, who died before he could even consummate the marriage. If she did not cooperate, her ruthless stepbrother Gilbert would kill her mother.

When Warrick gains his freedom he vows to have his revenge, “like for like.” So he imprisons Rowena in his castle, taking her as he wants and forcing her to act the servant. Rowena hates the arrogant knight and the passion he forces from her, but out of guilt for what she did to him, she willingly plays the servant.

Lindsey does a superb job of bringing an unlikely tale to readers in a way that is rich in medieval setting, period language and history of England between King Stephen and the coming of Henry II. The sexual tension between Warrick and Rowena, as you can imagine, is high. Warrick is a domineering knight who has already had two wives and thinks to take a third, but it seems his betrothed has gone missing. Meanwhile, he must contend with the spirited woman who he changed from a lady to a servant, all for the sake of revenge.

A bodice ripper that turns the tables—a great read that will keep you turning pages!

Review: Johanna Lindsey’s WHEN LOVE AWAITS – Love in an Arranged Marriage in the times of King Henry II

Set in England in 1176, this is the story of Lady Leonie, sent away by her father to her dower keep because he didn’t want to be reminded of her mother whom he loved. Living alone with her people away from the suitors she might have had, Leonie begins to think she is happy in that state. When her neighbor, Sir Rolfe d'Ambert, a favored knight of King Henry, discovers she owns the land that is causing all his problems, the mercenary Lord of Kempston asks the king for her hand, wanting only to gain the land. Leonie knows Rolfe only by his bad reputation, but she will not defy the king.

Little does Rolfe know, he is about to get more than he bargained for.

This is a fun romp through the time when Henry II ruled England. The story reflects Lindsey’s research into the era and what life was like at the time. There’s treachery, rogues and villains aplenty with enough adventure to keep you entertained.

Rolfe is a worthy hero who will have his way. Lionie is an honorable woman who insists on having hers. The result is a bit of a tug of war but all does end well.

Of Lindsey’s many novels, I would say this is one of the lighter ones, but still has enough historical detail and angst to satisfy.

Review: Johanna Lindsey’s HEARTS AFLAME – Superb Viking-Saxon Romance—a Keeper!

January is Vikings month on Historical Romance Review so get ready for those marauding adventurers and their lady loves! I’m starting with one of my very favorites. Hearts Aflame is the second in the Haardrad Viking family trilogy, but it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone. It is quite wonderful--an engaging story and well-told. In a bit of a twist, it’s a Saxon lord capturing a Viking maiden.

Set in the late 9th century when Vikings sailed south to England, Scotland and Ireland to raid, it tells the story of Kristen Haardrad, the independent, strong-willed and much loved daughter of a wealthy Viking merchant (whose story is told in book #1). Having spurned her many suitors because she can find no spark of love with any of them, Kristen stows away on her brother's ship believing he is headed to the southern coastal towns for trade where she hopes to find a husband. But her brother is not sailing to trade, but rather to raid. And he is not pleased when he discovers his sister is aboard his ship. Still, he proceeds with his plans.

All goes awry when Kristen is captured and made the slave of the Saxon lord, Royce of Wyndhurst, a favored warrior of King Alfred.

Royce is a tough but fair leader who is betrothed to a manipulating female he doesn't really want. He fights his attraction to his beautiful Viking slave, but Kristen, who has finally met a man who stirs her passion, has decided he is her "heartmate" and she will have no other. Royce wants her in his bed, but Kristen is proud and determined to win his heart.

Lindsey keeps you intrigued with rich characters, snappy (and sometimes funny) dialog, great action scenes and wonderfully believable tension between Kristen and Royce. I loved this story. It's definitely a keeper!

On Amazon

 

The Haardrad Viking trilogy:

Fires of Winter

Hearts Aflame

Surrender My Love

New Review: Johanna Lindsey's A PIRATE'S LOVE - A Privateer and the Woman He Seized and Would Not Let Go

This is a classic bodice ripper set in the 17th century, beginning in France in 1667. It’s the story of Tristan Matisse whose family was brutally slain by a Spaniard who plundered the coastal towns of France, and Bettina Verlaine, who was betrothed by her father to a wealthy count living in St. Martin. On her way to meet her betrothed, a man she does not know, Bettina’s ship is seized by the privateer Tristan who sails for England plundering Spanish ships.

From the beginning, it is clear that Tristan intends to have Bettina in his bed. He considers her spoils, no matter she is an innocent. And high-spirited Bettina will have none of it, so he rapes her each night. Though he told her he was taking her to St. Martin for ransom by her wealthy betrothed, he decides instead to take her to his island hideout and keep her until he “tires of her.” What quickly becomes apparent is that he has no intention of letting her go. While he holds Bettina, he searches for the man who killed his family, Don Miguel Bastida.

Lindsey does a superb job of describing the emotions experienced by Bettina—she could not give in to the pleasure she might experience with Tristan because to do so would be to betray her betrothed. She was feisty and courageous and I loved her. While it was a bit difficult to understand Tristan’s comfort with rape given his childhood, somehow Lindsey made us believe it was possible. And I came to like Tristan in spite of his treatment of Bettina, for he genuinely cared for her. Eventually, his more noble side comes out, and even Bettina, who has suffered his “ruining her life,” comes to see it.

There are many well drawn characters along the way, including Jules, the man who watches Tristan’s back, and Bettina’s mother who confesses to Bettina the cold man she thought was her father actually is not. Lindsey makes this an exciting tale with subplots and twists and turns—and the visits to many ports in the Caribbean. She had me turning pages late into the night.

I recommend it and you will see it on both my Best Bodice Ripper and Best Pirate and Privateer Romances lists.

Buy on Amazon