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 · 16 ratings  · 6 reviews

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Sep 25, 2021 Jewel marked it as did-not-finish

DNF @ page 110

I could have pushed myself to read through to the end of the story, the writing isn't bad at all, but I'm just so bored.

This is the third bodice ripper I've read this year where the main emotional issue is that the hero stupidly hates all women because a woman betrayed him when he was young and more idealistic. This is one of my least favorite tropes and I have no idea why it's so common in old historical romances. Somehow it's the heroine's job to redeem her entire gender in the

DNF @ page 110

I could have pushed myself to read through to the end of the story, the writing isn't bad at all, but I'm just so bored.

This is the third bodice ripper I've read this year where the main emotional issue is that the hero stupidly hates all women because a woman betrayed him when he was young and more idealistic. This is one of my least favorite tropes and I have no idea why it's so common in old historical romances. Somehow it's the heroine's job to redeem her entire gender in the male lead's eyes, which I find unbearably annoying. The only author who does this trope even slightly well is Francine Rivers.

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Apr 21, 2020 Shellie rated it really liked it

4 to 4.5 stars. I read this among several other bodice ripper's this month for Regan Walker's monthly theme blog. Last month I read Stormfire, which hit both the Irish theme for March and the upcoming April bodice ripper month. Although not as long or as good as the classic bodice ripper Stormfire this was pretty good. I read this book in less than 24 hours as it was such a page turner! This was my second book by Cordia Byers, the 1st was Devon, which was great. I have 6 more of her books, among 4 to 4.5 stars. I read this among several other bodice ripper's this month for Regan Walker's monthly theme blog. Last month I read Stormfire, which hit both the Irish theme for March and the upcoming April bodice ripper month. Although not as long or as good as the classic bodice ripper Stormfire this was pretty good. I read this book in less than 24 hours as it was such a page turner! This was my second book by Cordia Byers, the 1st was Devon, which was great. I have 6 more of her books, among them are The Black Angel, which is the sequel to Devon, and Pirate Royale. I really look forward to reading them all! ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I half remembered this book about a woman who disguises herself as a cabin boy. After some research I came across the name and author and researched some more. As soon as I saw the cover of the book I knew I'd read it before and got the impression that I liked it and it was the book I was searching for.

I found it on eBay. I have to admit I felt a thrill to hold the book in my hands again, looking at the cover. Fortunately I only paid a few dollars for it. I read this book 20+ years ago and mayb

I half remembered this book about a woman who disguises herself as a cabin boy. After some research I came across the name and author and researched some more. As soon as I saw the cover of the book I knew I'd read it before and got the impression that I liked it and it was the book I was searching for.

I found it on eBay. I have to admit I felt a thrill to hold the book in my hands again, looking at the cover. Fortunately I only paid a few dollars for it. I read this book 20+ years ago and maybe I wasn't as discerning back then, I was a lot younger and I was much more into romances back then.

"What they felt was passion,
What they had was love,
but they didn't know it."

It's okay if you gagged a little. I did after I read the book then reread the cover.

The book is very clichéd with all the things you read about and don't like about romance novels; heroes/heroines that make inexplicable and stupid decisions, characters that are just plain stupid, everyone's in love with the heroine, two-dimensional characters (all of them), token native American as the noble savage. And then she suddenly goes from hating the hero to realizing she's in love with him. What?! *sigh*

I only kept reading because I was hoping it would get better.

Maybe all romances of that time were clichéd and therefore samey? Older romances were more samey because there wasn't as much variety? Romances seem to be a bit more varied than they used to. After all, we have amish romance, supernatural, inspirational, historical, suspense, etc. This book is an old romance that hasn't held up well at all and I'm not even sure it was well regarded or popular back then. It does have one thing in common with some of the romances I've seen lately. It seems heroes have become more like the villains they fight i.e. more violent, more likely to harm the woman they supposedly are in love with. In this book the hero slaps the heroine bloody and continues until he knocks her out. I don't know what I thought of it then but I really don't like it now.

So, don't read this book. Not if you're bored, not if you like romances, not if you like ships, sailing, cabin boys, native Americans, Scotland, Savannah (as in Georgia). It was published in the 80's and should stay there. I know there are much better romances aplenty wherever you find romances (book store, eBay, library, Amazon, etc.). I know because I've read some of them.

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Dec 04, 2021 Chrisangel rated it did not like it

This will give you some idea: h boards H's ship disguised as a cabin boy (gee, sounds a bit familiar, ad nauseum) and ends up giving captain a bath; secret's out, captain H beds unwilling (but eventually responsive) h, first mat takes liking to h but gets washed overboard in storm; H and h stranded, have sex, fight and go separate ways, h gets help from native and enjoys snuggling up to him at night, H finds her, thinks they hooked up, more fighting; back at his home, H decides he likes h's body This will give you some idea: h boards H's ship disguised as a cabin boy (gee, sounds a bit familiar, ad nauseum) and ends up giving captain a bath; secret's out, captain H beds unwilling (but eventually responsive) h, first mat takes liking to h but gets washed overboard in storm; H and h stranded, have sex, fight and go separate ways, h gets help from native and enjoys snuggling up to him at night, H finds her, thinks they hooked up, more fighting; back at his home, H decides he likes h's body enough that he wants her for his temporary mistress' h agrees for six months, then they'll go their separate ways; they argue a lot (sometimes violently: she kicks and scratches, he hits hard) and have sex that she pretends not to respond to, then he turns the tables and plays her game; h runs away, H finds her and b rings her back, reminding her of six months bargain; H visits prostitute, decides to take her away from her sordid life and hires her to be h's maid; h resents this, as she suspects H and maid of hooking up and knows maid wants h for herself; h gets back at H by flirting with his business partners, then decides to forget the six months and runs away with one of the men, has sex with him while pregnant with H's baby....,

AND THAT'S WHEN MY STOMACH TURNED! If there's one thing (among others) in these Bod Rips that nauseates me is when h has a guy pump his stuff inside her while her womb is occupied by H's baby. GROSS!!! That's when I stopped reading, but considering how ridiculousthe story had been so far, I doubt I missed much.

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Aug 09, 2013 Regan Walker rated it really liked it

4 and ½ Stars! Suspenseful Bodice Ripper set in 19th Century Georgia

Set in the mid 1800s aboard a ship and then in Georgia, this tells the story of Callista Drummond and the English aristocrat, now sea captain, Corbin Wolfram Gainsbough (the latter name only showing up briefly).

When her aunt betroths her to the old and cruel Lord Condor to save their fortunes, being the half Scot, half gypsy that she is, Callista Drummond decides to find her way back home in Scotland and to her father's Keep, Ta

4 and ½ Stars! Suspenseful Bodice Ripper set in 19th Century Georgia

Set in the mid 1800s aboard a ship and then in Georgia, this tells the story of Callista Drummond and the English aristocrat, now sea captain, Corbin Wolfram Gainsbough (the latter name only showing up briefly).

When her aunt betroths her to the old and cruel Lord Condor to save their fortunes, being the half Scot, half gypsy that she is, Callista Drummond decides to find her way back home in Scotland and to her father's Keep, Tantallon. Disguising herself as a lad, she gets lucky and is befriended by the first mate of the ship Peregrine captained by the stern Corbin Wolfram. She hires on as a cabin boy, but forgot to ask where they were sailing. Instead of Scotland, the ship is headed to Savannah, Georgia.

You might as well know up front this is a bodice ripper and Corbin Wolfram is basically a bastard for most of the book, forcing a seduction (since she was an innocent, some would call it rape), then dumping her on his first mate, then beating her, then forcing her to be his whore "for six months." (No mention is made of what happens should she become pregnant). So, right there I'm thinking, to redeem himself, this guy is going to have to grovel big time.

Of course, she could have left him at any time but she "gave him her word" and it takes her a while to figure out one should not make promises to such a man. When she finally does leave him, she heads to the Georgia gold fields led by a vision she had of her father digging in red earth in America.

Byers tells the tale well, as she always does, and kept me turning pages late into the night. So, for all the negative things I said about the hero, it is a page turner. Callista is, in most ways, a courageous and clever girl. You want her to succeed (and you want Corbin to drop into the sea, no matter he had a difficult childhood or his mother wasn't perfect or a certain Lord Condor destroyed his family—yes, there is that coincidence). If you don't like it when the hero sleeps with other women, you'll like it even less when the heroine sleeps with another man. Just know this is a bit different.

The storms at sea are vividly portrayed and there are some wonderful secondary characters. All in all, if you like bodice rippers, this is a good one.

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Catherine Blair (a.k.a. Cordia Byers) grew up in Texas, were she spent her high school years writing romances for her friends. She received her Ph.D. in neuroscience from Cornell University and currently studies opiate addiction. No one else thinks that the pun between "heroin addiction" and "heroine addiction" is as funny as she does. Catherine is a member of the Romance Writers of America and li Catherine Blair (a.k.a. Cordia Byers) grew up in Texas, were she spent her high school years writing romances for her friends. She received her Ph.D. in neuroscience from Cornell University and currently studies opiate addiction. No one else thinks that the pun between "heroin addiction" and "heroine addiction" is as funny as she does. Catherine is a member of the Romance Writers of America and lives with her husband in San Diego, California. ...more

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