Fierce Eden (Casablanca Classics) [Paperback]

Jennifer Blake (Author)

Book Description

Release date: February 1, 2011 | Series: Casablanca Classics

"Blake's style is as steamy as a still July night on the bayou, as overwhelmingly hot as Cajun spice." -Chicago Tribune

She was living in fear...

Beautiful, young widow Elise Laffont embraces her freedom during the daylight hours, running the farm she loves so dearly, but the night brings with it painful reminders of the torment she endured at the hands of her abusive husband. Fate may have taken her husband, but it hasn't erased the scars he left, and Elise wonders if she will ever be able to bear the touch of a man again.

He was a man torn by desire...

From the moment he laid eyes on the beautiful widow, Reynaud Chevalier wanted her. When disaster offers him the chance to claim her as his own, Reynaud seizes the opportunity to bind Elise to him, unaware that behind her determined bravado lays a heart shattered by the past.

Praise for Jennifer Blake:

"Full of Blake's captivating historical detail, rich, sensual atmosphere, and the intelligent banter and dialogue that make her characters so unique." -Affaire de Coeur

"Blake's a master at romantic fiction." -Chattanooga Times

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Gullible widow Elise Laffont draws the attention of Reynaud Chevalier, a frontiersman caught between two worlds, in this tale of romance in 1730s Louisiana. When the Natchez attack Fort Rosalie, part-Natchez Reynaud leads Elise and a few survivors to safety in exchange for her bedtime companionship, not realizing that her abusive husband had left her terrified of men. Reynaud attempts to cure Elise's fear by holding her to their bargain while insisting that she be the one to approach him. They are drawn further into the Natchez-French conflict when Reynaud reluctantly agrees to become the new Natchez war leader. Blake's historical research is impeccable, but it's hard to believe that smart, brave Reynaud could be so attracted to naïve, insecure Elise. Detailed descriptions of colonial and native life add depth to this otherwise old-fashioned tale, but can't make up for the lack of chemistry. (Feb.)
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Review

"Jennifer Blake is one of the undisputed queens of romance and Fierce Eden is a prime example of what makes her great. " - Night Owl Romance

"A most intriguing and passionate novel." - Fresh Fiction

"Bestselling author Jennifer Blake's Fierce Eden, is steamy, full of historical accuracy, and just the right book for any historical romance fan. " - Romance Fiction on Suite101.com

"Chock full of action, adventure, passion, and survival, Fierce Eden was a great read and one that I highly recommend. " - The Royal Reviews

"A sweeping, vibrant historical tale of love, honor, betrayal and adventure." - Linda Banche Romance Author

"Well paced, compelling, and delightfully satisfying, romance lovers are sure to enjoy this one!" - Minding Spot

"A master story teller... a tale that will be remembered long after the last page is read. Marvelous reading! " - Long and Short Reviews

"The story is one that takes you from one place to another, one culture to one vastly different and shows not only the blossoming romance between the two main characters but how it effects the world around them." - Savey Spender

"A very sensual and romantic book, with history woven into it." - Deb's Book Bag

"Blake is a master of research and description... tantalizingly delicious." - Love Romance Passion

"A great blend of romance, adventure, sexual tension, and historical information.... a story that firmly plants the reader into the past." - Life in the Thumb

"Amazing. The historical detail was rich and obviously well-researched." - Books Like Breathing

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Reissue edition (February 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402238487
• ISBN-13: 978-1402238482
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,446,404 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Want to know when Jennifer has new releases out and/or sales on her current titles? Sign up for Steel Magnolia Press' Fresh Leaves Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gCgrX

Jennifer Blake has been called "the steel magnolia of women's fiction" for her enduring career as an author. She has also been lauded as a "pioneer of the romance genre" and an "icon of the romance industry." A New York Times and international best selling author from the publication of "Love's Wild Desire" in 1977, she is a charter member of Romance Writers of America, member of the RWA and Affaire de Coeur Halls of Fame, and recipient of the RWA Lifetime Achievement Rita. She holds numerous other honors, including two Maggies, two Holt Medallions, multiple Reviewer's Choice awards, the Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times BookReviews Magazine, and the Frank Waters Award for literary excellence. She has written 65 books with translations in 20 languages and more than 30 million copies in print. Jennifer and her husband live on a lake in northern Louisiana.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#71 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Historical Romance

#72 in Books > Romance > Historical

#71 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Historical Romance

#72 in Books > Romance > Historical

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Frigid Frenchwoman & the Hot Half-Breed! July 2, 2003

By Silmarwen VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Elise Laffont is only 25 years old, yet she is already a widow - and perfectly happy to be one! All of the bachelors around Fort Rosalie, and there are many as it is a military post, are positive that she cannot make her small holding in Louisiana Territory profitable without a man by her side. Yet Elise has nothing but disgust for men, her brutal husband having done nothing but hurt her, mock her and cause her trouble. Elise was proud of her small farm and had made a modest success, but she lost it all one morning when the Natchez attached Fort Rosalie and the outlying areas, killing or enslaving all of the French. Elise managed to escape into the forest and find a small group of survivors, but they knew they could not make it out of Natchez territory without being caught. When Reynaud Chavalier, a half-French, half-Natchez warrior, finds them, he offers to take them to Fort Natchitoches - if Elise will warm his bed at night. Nothing could be worse for Elise, yet the other French insist that they will not survive without him and Elise is forced to comply.

Elise is determined to think Reynaud no better than her brute of a husband, yet when Reynaud sees the fear and panic in her eyes when he reaches for her that night, he is determined to make her want him as a woman. He insists that Elise touch him and pleasure herself. Elise uses these opportunities to tease Reynaud, but she slowly comes to trust him and to believe that all men are not like her dead husband. When they come to Reynaud's plantation, she is content to stay there, making love to Reynaud and living in a kind of paradise, untouched by the outside. However, this time of peace cannot last, for the French are coming to kill the Natchez for their uprising.

When members of the Natchez tribe come to ask Reynaud, known as Hawk of the Night to them, to become the new war chief, Reynaud feels that he has a duty to his people to go, even though he fears that they will lose. At first Reynaud was going to let Elise continue on to the fort, but he finds that he cannot let her go. Elise does not go willingly, but has no chance to make a successful escape with all of the warriors watching her every move. She determines to make the best of it in the Natchez camp and befriends some of the Natchez women and offers what comfort she can to the French captives there. As Elise spends more time among the Natchez, she comes to see them for the people that they are - just like the French, full of strengths and weaknesses, cultural customs and taboos. She knows that she is in love with Reynaud, but what kind of future do they have with the French attacking the tribe from all sides?

This was a very enjoyable romance that also had quite a bit of historical background to it (some of it fictionalized, of course). I liked Elise as a character, she was afraid, yet determined to be courageous and not afraid to change or to adapt to new situations. Reynaud was a gorgeous hero, tormented by not belonging to either people whose blood pulsed through his veins and not sure whose side he was really on. The supporting characters were also quite well developed and fun to get to know: Little Quail, the Natchez woman who befriended Elise and taught her the Natchez way of life, Pierre Broussard, Reynaud's trader friend who fell in love with Little Quail when he was a little boy, the Great Sun, Reynaud's twin brother who ruled the Natchez like a god, Tattooed Arm, Reynaud's mother who fell in love with a French man and bore him two sons, and many, many more. This is a tale full of love and tragedy and the relationships between the characters were very strong. Jennifer Blake really made the time period come alive and the pages just flew by. My only complaint is that Elise's feelings seemed to switch rather abruptly and Elise and Reynaud seemed to have the same doubts and arguments throughout the book without ever really finding any solutions or reconciling. Still, I think that most readers who are fans of historical romance will enjoy this book.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A touching story! October 25, 2000

By nicolep91

Format:Paperback

This book was one of the best I've read by Jennifer Blake. You really feel the plight of the Natchez indians without it feeling like a history lesson. You also come to understand the conflict the main male character, Reynaud, feels being half-French, half-Natchez in the midst of a war between the two. The heroine, Elise, is strong-willed but without excessive stubbornness. The beginning of this book starts of strong and the love story between the characters develops well. I thought the last part of the book could have been drawn out a bit more. Overall though, this book is definitely worth reading!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars a little too long April 9, 2012

By RomReader VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Young & independent widow escapes the Natchez raid in her town along with 3 others. Half-Natchez French count Hero guides them to a safer location with the condition that heroine will be his mistress. Man-mistrusting heroine doesn't yield easily to him but Hero bides his time in letting her feel more comfortable in his presence. Their eventual affair hits a snag when heroine & her other cohorts realize that Hero was delaying them from their desired location. How will heroine trust Hero again?

The romance was weaved in this 400-plus book but it was too long on historical detail. It was like a saga of the Natchez & French American squirmishes except it happened in a year's time. This book would've been better for me if it was cut in half because all that historical action rendition & other character relationships just got tedious. The main characters themselves were interesting when the book focused on them. Both Hero & heroine shared a lack of belonging & sense of isolation from their communities. Both were independent & made strong from their individual pasts. Hero resorted to deception & manipulation to soften stalwart heroine towards him. It did work until she found out what he was doing. Instead of groveling, he acted arrogant & even more controlling. As attracted as she was to him, heroine found the strength to leave him. She was independent & strong overall but there were moments when she acted clueless. She seemed oblivious to Hero's obvious affection towards her. Her rescue of Hero at the end was not believable. Someone of her unknown identity and a woman could not have swayed the high-official's decree to punish Hero who was well-known for his powerful influence over the Natchez tribe.

Moderately recommended for the romance.