Customer Reviews

Desire in the Sun

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

out of all the books I have read by Karen Robards, this must be one of the best. The plot was an intricate one, weaved around a handsome rake with a chip on his shoulder, a beautiful lady who has a temper, isolated beaches and a tempestuous love on the sunny island of Barbados...What more could you want, really?

First, let me state that I really enjoyed the book, and I've enjoyed most of Robard's books. But, one of my favorite romance books is "Shanna" by Kathleen Woodiwiss...and this book was way too similar! -(SPOILER ALERT!)- Heroine is the beautiful, rich daughter of wealthy plantation owner on a small island. She has been sent abroad to find a husband. The tall, dark, handsome hero becomes a slave to the beautiful young woman's father. Despite slave/mistress relationship, there is an attraction. When traveling by ship to return to the island, Hero & Heroine are captured by pirates. Heroine is forced to dress as a young boy to escape detection by pirates. On the island, Heroine continuously sneaks to the slave quarters to visit Hero in the middle of the night...gets discovered by maid, who keeps her secret...Heroine becomes pregnant by slave/Hero... so, even the little details are similar.-(END)- I'm not accusing the author of intending to plagiarize "Shanna" - it's just that once I noticed the similarities, I couldn't get it out of my head. Otherwise, it was an enjoyable read.

This was so great!! I read it over and over again! Ms. Robards is a terrific author. I am in the middle of To Trust a Stranger right now and it is wonderful!! I started reading her books because she is from Louisville Ky. which is onlu a few min. away from where I live and I think that her books are well written and contain great plots and story lines. I suggest that evryone needs to read her books if you are looking for adventure and romance!!

This was the first Karen Robards book I read. I loved it. I fell in love with the characters and their need for one another. I would recommend this to anyone. I read it in 3 days. I just didn't want to put it down.

I have read all of Karen Robards' books and of her historical romances Desire in the Sun is the cream of the crop. The characters are believeable and react to problems appropretly. Leila is young and she acts like a young woman without the benifit of worldly experience. Joss is one of Robards best male characters he has a reason to hate Leila but he still has the capacity to love her.

This is the kind of romance novel which, for me, is just good enough to keep me reading, but, I don't feel that I want to read it again and again, the way I do with my keepers.

I thought there could have been more depth given to these characters and to their situation. The hero, Joss's having African-American blood was a BIG deal in those days, after all. I thought that discovery of this fact was too clumsily rushed into. Then, BOOM, his grandfather dies - too suddenly - though it certainly moved the plot right along. But WAY too fast.

In fact, the whole book felt rushed. The author rushes into the revelation about Joss, then rushed him into slavehood; rushed into a shipwreck; rushed the hero & heroine into making love... I guess I wanted more sexual tension, more suspense. It was an OK read but not as great as it could have been. I thought the hero's heritage was a great plot twist, but it's just not used wisely enough.

First of all, I despised the prejudice in this novel. But, yes it was a lot tamer than what ACTUALLY happened during that period.

Delilah Remy falls in lust with the mustachioed lothario, Jocelyn San Pietro upon first glance and is completely infatuated by his shameless flirting and tender kissing after one magical walk. Oh, bother he's 1/8th African, and property of her (crazy) great-aunt! Lilah has to forget about that, but. . . Her crazy-aunt has him beaten and sold, thus leading Lilah to beg her (crazy) fiancee into purchasing Joss "for her (yes, again he is: crazy) father" (more like for some serious sexin' on Miss Lilah's part). Joss wants to wake up from this horrible nightmare, after all he is an English business man and the impressive captain of his own ship, that just happens to be of a mixed background. So? Why is he forced into this world?

After a shipwreck things get steamy (and banter-y) as Lilah falls in love with her proud and intelligent slave boy and Joss, sans the mustache and any proper clothing can't help but be touched by the pampered princess' courage, compassion, and enticing body parts. Then, her father and yes, crazy-stepmother join the picture with the fiancee in the backing and annoy the hell out of me. But, it isn't the unbearable annoyance of horribly written characters, more like the annoyance of taxing, repressive, somewhat one-dimensional individuals (we only view them through Lilah's dimensions, except for the fiancee). Although Lilah loves her family with a tender loyalty and they are only viewed through her rose-impaired vision, however Robards makes it obvious that they're manipulative and selfish creatures (even though Lilah bypasses that fact until the very end, she constantly longs to believe in their goodness).


This one is a definite keeper. Villains you love to hate (not very engaging though), interesting leads, and amazing chemistry. My favorite from Robards.

This is one of the first books I've read of Karen's that I couldn't put down. I have found in her previous works that you could guess the ending and how it would turn out. In this one, I was kept guessing about how these two would ever make it. A great steamy read and was disappointed when I finished it and it is one of her books that you could follow-up with a sequel. Love the fact also that the cover matched their descriptions and so it wasn't a stretch to get a visual.

I'm a big Island Flame fan of Karen Robards and this book is just as good. It is so fast moving that you won't be able to put it down.

While I have read better books by the same author I still found the book fun to read and entertaining. I would recommend this book as a companion for a quiet weekend alone.