Love Romance Passion » Pirate http://www.loveromancepassion.com Because Books Don't Fall Asleep Afterwards! Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Review: Scandalous Desires (Maiden Lane, Book 3) by Elizabeth Hoyt http://www.loveromancepassion.com/review-scandalous-desires-maiden-lane-book-3-by-elizabeth-hoyt/ http://www.loveromancepassion.com/review-scandalous-desires-maiden-lane-book-3-by-elizabeth-hoyt/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:20:25 +0000 Keira http://www.loveromancepassion.com/?p=13169

Heroine: Widow Silence Hollingbrook is in a dire situation. To reclaim what she loves she must face the man who callously and cruelly used her to make a point that ruined her marriage. Only of course he doesn’t make things simple. Apparently there’s danger (evil Charlie Grady, the Vicar of Whitechapel) and wouldn’t you know, he’s the father of the baby girl she thought was an orphan.

Hero: River pirate “Charming” Mickey O’Connor is fiercely handsome but woefully unfeeling (or so he thinks, he takes quite good care of those he considers his). He climbed his way to the top of London’s dark and dangerous criminal underworld and has no intentions of falling back down. But when a danger from his past threatens to tear it all down, Mickey acts and once again his actions will prove to be Silence’s undoing.

Review: Scandalous Desires is not to be missed – pirate hero? Hello! It’s a beautifully written story with all the elements that I like including a seemingly heartless hero (he’s dragged into love, but once there he’s going to go all out). I love how Mickey is the engineer of his own romantic downfall – he wants Silence and to get to her he uses Mary Darling, a bastard daughter a whore claimed was his but he knows is not. He’ll keep Mary around because it means Silence will stay because she loves the girl. Of course he falls for both, poor man, haha. Silence and Mikey are enemies, but they aren’t, because Mikey doesn’t really want Silence as an enemy, but plays the part because of his plan to keep her by his side. The only thing left to say is that this is definitely one of the best books of the year!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

(Would have been 5 Stars, but Mary Darling gets sick and drags focus)

Buy: Scandalous Desires (Maiden Lane)

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genre


What is pirate, privateer, or buccaneer romance?

While pirate romance seems pretty self explanatory the truth of the matter is that modern romantic notions of pirates are far from fact. When we think of a pirate, I am sure many of you will conjure up an image of the deliciously sexy and adventurous Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean. The code that they lived by was far from the images brought to mind by the movies or by modern day romances. Pirates in truth were vicious and the chances of two pirates following the same code of honor were pretty slim, but that doesn't stop them from being some of the best of the bad boys in romantic literature.

What makes the pirate so sexy?

We love reading about pirates, of that there is no question. Why, you might wonder. The answer is thus: who wouldn't want a handsome man to give us permission to buck the rules of society, live life voraciously with no limit on what we can or should do? Rogues and rakehells might make delicious rapscallions on land and in London society, but it is the pirate captain that is both scandalous and notorious.

Lead males in pirate romances are muscular, domineering, swashbuckling, passionate, buccaneers. The open sea is their mistress and no female can tame their hearts... or so they think. Pirate heroes soon realize just how lonely their life on the water really is and endeavor to capture the love of a woman. When they loot, pillage, and ravish pirate heroes find themselves desiring to do so to the pretty maid with the feisty tongue and not the nearest enemy ship.

This is the character cast in romance novels. The truth however is that pirates have never been truly noted for charms, manners, or fantastically gorgeous good looks. Despite their shortcomings, the romance of seven seas calls out like a siren's song. Thrills, romance and adventure, you can't go wrong with a pirate romance.

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Beauvallet is one of my top favorite Georgette Heyer romances. It’s one I would recommend for a guy to read because of how daredevil the hero is and how much action and high jinks take place.

Sir Nicholas Beauvallet is a dashing pirate with a rakish charm. He’s the bane of the Spanish empire and good friends with other famous privateers such as Sir Francis Drake. He’s gallant, courageous to the point of foolhardiness, and full of confidence. His ego is adorable because it’s so over-inflated and lighthearted.

Dona Dominica de Rada y Sylva is a gutsy heroine. When captured she steals Beauvallet’s dagger and waves it at his nose. When forced aboard Beauvallet’s ship she snubs him, flirts outrageously with another officer, and ignores him. Obviously she’s just hiding her true feelings—the instantaneous crush, the deepening attraction, the utter fascination. The more she pushes him the more under his spell she falls.

When he promises to win her hand in marriage, she scoffs. Not likely! When he says he’ll pursue her right to her doorstep in the heart of Spain, she laughs. Impossible! When he says, “Risk not!” she begins to hope. But can it be done?

Some of the funniest scenes are Beauvallet flaunting his presence under the Spanish aristocracy and nobody being the wiser. I’m so happy that Heyer kept it in mostly Beauvallet’s point of view because we got to his side of the story and laugh at the supposedly mystical and magical escapes he managed to execute under Spanish noses.

It’s also an unusual historical I feel because of the monarchs and events happening.

Relative Time Period – Tudor:

  • Spanish Inquisition – 1478 to 1834
  • Henri III – 1551 to 1589
  • Elizabeth I – 1533 to 1603
  • Phillip II -  1527 to 1598
  • Sir Francis Drake – 1577 to 1580 – around world trip

The references to the Spanish Inquisition are just cloying and realistic enough to make you shudder with all the “infinite kindness of the church” and whatnot. I’m not an expert of anything, but the way the dialogue happened almost made one think that King Phillip had no idea what truly happened during the churches inquisition sessions. Does anybody know if he did or not?

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Buy: Beauvallet

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The Situation: Earth is a dying hunk of rock in the wasteland of space, but humans are doing their best to deny it while digging tunnels deep under the surface to avoid the sun’s harmful rays. Humanity is 40 billion strong and counting. There aren’t enough resources to go around, jobs are limited and nobody has enough to space to think let alone live. Desperate doesn’t even being to cover it.

The Hero: Nick Venture is leader of a tunneling team, but he’s fired, and so is his team.  He can hardly believe it. Just when he was supposed to get a place of his own the company cans them in order to not comply with their side of the agreement. He stops by a bar before calling it a night and his act of heroism leads to an unjust imprisonment that’s the equivalent of a death sentence. Lucky for him, his secret heritage, works like a get out of jail free card. In exchange he must do something he’s clearly unqualified for, but he’s going to try to do his best. He’s going to claim a newly discovered habitable planet.

The Heroine: Raquel Donovan is a space pirate searching to revenge herself on a military man abusing his position and his power. For years she’s been building a reputation for herself as the deadliest pirate in the galaxy. They call her the Siren. When this eye-patch toting captain captures Nick’s ragtag crew near one of the solar system’s outer planets sparks fly. She never expects him to turn the tables on her and put her in a position she can’t refuse. Another earth? Impossible!

Review: I regularly follow Heather Massey’s blog on science fiction romance and I’ve picked up a thing or two about this genre. Massey has written a book with elements she thought the genre needed more of and really that’s the type of book authors should write. While I don’t read much science fiction romance, I watch a lot of sci-fi with my father and I can honestly say this story had a very unique take on the Earth-in-peril plot. The tunneling underground was extremely well done and the space exploration and pirate endeavors were interesting and well thought out. For the sci-fi Heather Massey gets 5 out of 5!

That said, I wasn’t too hot on the hero. I like my heroes more alpha and Nick Venture is really more of a beta hero. He’s the leader of a ragtag, but experienced group of individuals in space flight, while he had none. I don’t really understand why being Christopher Columbus’s last descendant qualified him for the job or the respect he received. He kind of bumbled along and got lucky because he was an out of the box thinker.

I also thought the romance was a tad unbelievable with Raquel being so hot and cold (a double standard?  Heroes can usually get away with this…) She constantly pushed Nick away and considering how much time spent away from each other on separate ships with little communication, I found it hard to buy Nick’s near instant-love for the sexy pirate.

Recommended: For SFR fans, readers who love beta heroes, female pirates, and characters beating all the odds for a happy ending.

Rating: ★★★½☆

Buy: Once Upon A Time In Space

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bookreview

Guardian Angel by Julie Garwood is the second book in the set of three novels, Guardian Angel follows on the heels of The Lion's Lady. I didn't know this when I started and was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed the book. Usually I dislike sets of romances because one couple or half of a couple ends up irking me due to their actions in a previous book. However, Lyon and Christina are already wedded by this point and I loved them in their story. I did wonder as to their purpose in this novel, but Lyon is clearly Caine's friend and trustworthy ally which Caine will need before the novel is up. Speaking on ends, I thought the ending to Guardian Angel was lacking in some fashion. I can't put my finger on it but the ending left me feeling vaguely like how the ending of The Wedding made me feel... unresolved I guess.

The Marquess of Cainewood is on a mission. Revenge coldly calculated, this ruthless man has set out to avenge his brother's death at the hands of the notorious pirate known only as Pagan. The pirate would meet his maker, and then perhaps Caine's father would get some peace. Sitting in the back of a pub that had become his haunting place since his brother's death, Caine's evening is interrupted by the unexpected appearance of an angel with fiery red hair. She's scared, trembling, but determined.

Her first question is about his identity... is he Pagan?

His charade as the pirate was working, but instead of drawing out the real Pagan, he got a maiden in distress. She asks him to kill her before the men after her catch up and do the job themselves. She wants to die quick and painlessly and hoped the honorable Pagan would help her. Honorable indeed! Caine refuses and shoulders the burdens of the young woman.

Jade he will find leads him on a merry goose chase after criminals who do and don't exist. And all the while she is flitting about trying to keep Caine occupied, a real mystery is brewing... but also passion. Can Jade keep her heart safe or has a man finally pierced her shields to the vulnerable girl inside?

Rating: ★★★★☆

Edit: The sex in this novel doesn't follow the usual path in romance novels. When Jade loses her virginity it's not a quick flash of pain and then over with. I enjoyed how Garwood handled everything when it became an issue between Jade and Caine. Jade was also very tender for her second time. It was different than what I am used to in a romance novel and I found that I enjoyed it because of that.

Buy: Guardian Angel

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bookreview

Old School romance daydreams + embarrassing contemporary situations * 2 potential heroes = exponential fun.

Inara Lavey writes loving parodies of old school romance for Cassandra to daydream. Of course our plucky heroine (who is the very definition of spitfire) gets caught out time and again. She lands in some very funny situations as she sleep walks during some of them.

Cassandra Devon works in customer relations at a paper product company back in San Francisco and when her skuzzy boyfriend ditches weekend holiday plans she is determined it’s for the last time and dumps his sorry butt. Cassandra calls up her best friend Val and remakes plans to enjoy a holiday with her in Palm Springs.

There she meets:

Connor is the charming Irish rogue who’s passionate personality makes him the ideal romance hero.

Raphael (Rafe) is “the physical incarnation of every romantic hero who'd ever strode, seduced, stalked or swashbuckled across the pages of countless romance novels.”

What did I tell you about Lavey? That's just a sample of her voice. Trust me, her writing is a hoot! Cassie’s internal dialogue is as sassy as any contemporary romance heroine and the daydreams are as equally riotous.

Now the only question that remains is who Cassie will choose: Rafe or Connor?

Rating: ★★★★☆

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I first heard about Crimson Rapture from a HaBo post over at Smart Bitches: Trashy Books. I can’t remember now if this book was the actual book or just one of the suggestions, but I guess it hardly matters. It sounded cool and I got it immediately from Paperback Swap.

It was originally published in 1986 and definitely has forced seduction in it—the kind where he does it for her own good and because he desires her too much to let another moment pass. There’s a lot of it, but it is well written, so if you’re in the mood for it, I would highly suggest this novel. A warning though… the comeuppance of the uppity bitch in the story is gang rape by the pirate crew which the pirate captain (hero) sanctions because she tried to kill someone (no, not the heroine.)

The story is one of those that goes everywhere (Boston, London, open seas, remote island in the Phillipines, Jamaica) and does everything (kidnapping, monsoons, shipwrecks, runaways, fake marriages, babies, plots and betrayal, and so on.)

It starts when the ship the heroine and hero are on is caught in the doldrums. The heroine is headed for Australia to live with her cousin and his family after her father’s recent death. The hero, Justin Phillips, is locked up in the hold somewhere on his way to his execution. He spies her presence one day and strikes up a conversation. He can’t really see her, but he figures she’s extremely plain.

Christina Marks is actually very beautiful. As the daughter of a reverend she is kind, naive, and innocent.  Also, she is terribly shy except when she talks to Justin through the small opening. She gives him her rations to help him keep his strength up. When the wind breaks and Justin’s crew comes to his rescue he kidnaps Cristina determined to ensure her safety and wellbeing.

The adventure has only begun though and passion can’t be denied.

Rating: ★★★½☆

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by Susan S., guest reviewer

There are three things guaranteed to bring me pleasure: vanilla-flavored coffees, Godiva, and a great read. This was a great read!

Background: Miss Susan Stanton made her debut as a secondary character in Too Wicked To Kiss; where she befriends Evangeline, the heroine from book one. The sequel stands alone, but reading the earlier installment will explain more about Susan’s downfall from Polite Society, and her failed attempts at marrying a wealthy gentleman.

What to Expect:

You can expect Ridley’s signature humor, a great murder mystery, and a Regency set historical romance with a paranormal twist. There’s also scandalous unladylike behavior from the heroine and temptation-laced kisses from a sexy rakehell.

What Not to Expect:

If you’re looking for a replica of book one, you’ll be doused in ice water; a real shock-to-the-system. Too Sinful To Deny is to Too Wicked To Kiss, as a red fan is to a red apple. It’s not the first time I see a sequel completely dissimilar from the first book, but it’s the first time I felt it’s happened to a successful end.

Recommendations: Recommended for romance readers everywhere.

Summary: Miss Susan Stanton, heroine, drowned in the frigid waters of London’s Thames River; only to regain consciousness with a newfound gift. She sees…and hears…dead people. A most inconvenient gift! Since, most discarnates pop up at the most inopportune moments. Always expecting her to do some task or another.

Her penchant for gossiping forces her parents to send her to the desolate town of Bournemouth. It’s in Bournemouth where she meets a discarnate named Timothy; it's Timothy who'll set certain events into motion. One involving a dark and dangerous smuggler named Evan Bothwick, hero.

With missing corpses, disappearing pirate ships, talking ghosts, and jealous rivals, is there any time for romance? Of course! Evan kisses Susan the first time, and she punches him in the ribs. Then, he kisses her a second time, and the blackguard disappears out a window. Will the third kiss be the charm? I know! But, I’m not telling. There’s a discarnate over Miss Stanton’s left shoulder pressing a finger to his very blue, very dead lips. I take that to mean he’s signaling me to remain silent on the matter. And since he’s a pirate, albeit a dead one…I’m going to do what he asks.

Review: Two things I loved about this novel: character development and the opposites attracting aspect of the love story. Just imagine the sole heiress of a wealthy baron associating with a rakehell who happens to be a smuggler. Susan shouldn’t be associating with Evan. As for Bothwick, he should be tumbling around with a wench. Oh, but isn’t something more tempting, if it’s…forbidden?

Regarding the character development, we have an innocent, impulsive young-lady of three and twenty who grows up emotionally. Although change of habit doesn’t alter her nature entirely, she does learn how it feels to be on the receiving end of gossip. An unpleasant experience to be sure! Evan does some growing up of his own, and learns to think of someone besides himself.

Rating: ★★★★½

Buy: Too Sinful To Deny

ARC, Historical Romance, Kensington Publishing Corp., April 2011, Print Pages 344. ISBN-13# 978-1-4201-0994-8.

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by Carla F., guest reviewer

Summary: In the first chapter of With Proud Humility, the heroine, Lady Marie Woodall has been chained up by the pirate, Black Vane. Marie had not been kidnapped by Vane, but had boarded his ship because she wanted to get the map that shows the island where her Mother’s treasure could be found. Marie’s mother had been killed by Vane because of this treasure, but neither he nor Marie knows what exactly it is or how much there is. Marie is “rescued” from Vane when privateer Alexander Hayes attacks the pirate ship.

Unknown to Marie, Alexander gets the map from Vane. The pirate escapes imprisonment on the ship. Alexander then takes Marie home to her father and tries to find out more about the map and its connection to Marie and Black Vane.

Here there be spoilers:

The Good: Marie is a kick-ass heroine who does it all except anything a proper female would do.

The Bad: The men in the book didn’t behave in a way that was believable for the time period (early part of the 19th century in the Caribbean).  Marie escaped from home several times to go after Vane, but it doesn’t appear that her father had her watched more closely because of it. When she and her father are off visiting friends in another town, Vane puts a price on Marie’s head. Her father orders Marie home. After she deliberately misses a ship (because she has to finish a poker competition), her father has Alexander sail her back home. However, her father doesn’t go with her or send either a chaperone or a maid with her.

Later on in the story, Alexander teaches Marie how to swing over to another ship because he wants her to be a part of the crew that invades Vane’s ship. I just didn’t think a man of this time would do this no matter how capable a woman was. Particularly if it was a woman he loved. However, Alexander blows hot and cold so much throughout the story that it was a little difficult for me to believe that he really loved her at the end.

Overall: This almost seem more of an adventure story than a romance. If you like those type of stories and/or kick-ass heroines you might want to read this one.

Rating: ★½☆☆☆

Buy: With Proud Humility

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Letty Hornsby is a disaster waiting to happen… literally! The poor girl is a klutz. You'll adore her. She’s uncoordinated and accident prone. If you’re the unfortunate slob to be within ten feet of her, expect to get knocked out, trampled on, set on fire, or shot… all these things and more happen to the Earl of Downe, Richard Lennox. He’s been the cursed object of her affections since she was a little girl and ran him off a bridge while riding a cow.

Richard might put on a disagreeable, rakish, cynical façade for the world to see, but Letty knows deep down he’s a wonderfully caring man. After all he treats her with respect and tenderness when anybody else would run in the other direction. He’s constantly looking out for her and a man without morals or a heart wouldn’t keep saving her from herself.

Despite all the harm she causes and her scatterbrained conversations which require a map and a translator to follow, Richard finds himself drawn to the innocent hellion. She humbles him, infuriates him, calls to him, and reaches through to him. When they and her dog Gus are captured and trapped onboard a smuggler ship, Richard can’t think of anything else that could go wrong – which was just asking for trouble.

Dreaming is the sequel to Bewitching, some of the overlap with the matchmaking witch is a little more understandable by reading the first I feel… and gives you more appreciation for the peaks into the other characters lives/romances as they try to find their missing friend. It’s satisfyingly long, sweetly passionate, hilariously funny, and quick paced read you won't want to put down.

Rating: ★★★★½

Buy: Dreaming

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