Customer Reviews

Fierce Eden

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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.

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!

This was the first historical romance I read and I've been hooked ever since. I've read a multitude of books in this genre and love some just as well, but none better. Excellent descriptive writing!

I have to admit that I've really enjoyed reading Sourcebooks Casablanca Classics. I'm not usually one for romance books but 'My Love, My Enemy' and now 'Fierce Eden' have been great reads for me this month. Just goes to show you that covers can sometimes be misleading in regards to content. I thought this story was a great blend of romance, adventure, sexual tension, and historical information. I will own up to having fantasies (when I was younger and more naive) of wanting to be swept away by an Indian Chief who crackled with virility and smoldering hotness. Every time I watched 'Last of the Mohicans,' I would often catch myself sighing and dreaming of Unca (Daniel Day Lewis's Indian brother) coming to my rescue and saving me from the brutal British. But I digress....so anyway.....I found myself at many, many times with a huge grin on my face as I read the passionate love scenes between Elise and her half-breed Reynaurd. But the story isn't just about their romance, it's also about the history of Louisiana, the French, and the Indian tribes that lived there during the early 1700's. Jennifer Blake took a few historic occurrences and then wrote a story that firmly plants the reader into the past.

Recommend? Yes..I would recommend this one especially for those readers that enjoy some great historical fiction with a tastefully written love story intertwined within the pages. There honestly isn't one cheesy thing going on here, it's not a Harlequin romance, or a book with just sex. Actually, the sex is fairly minimal and like I wrote above it's very well done. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon...not at all.

FIERCE EDEN by Jennifer Blake is a sweeping, vibrant historical tale of love, honor, betrayal and adventure.

In 1729 Louisiana, long-simmering tension erupts into violence as the beleaguered Natchez Indians attack the French Fort Rosalie, destroying the fort and the surrounding farms and slaughtering the settlers.

Widowed French landowner Elise, after suffering marriage with an abusive husband, has no wish to submit to any man. But in the chaos after the massacre, she must accept the attentions of the half-French Natchez prince, Reynaud, as the price for his protection of her and her little band of survivors.

And so begins a far-ranging tale of culture clash and divided loyalties. Rich in in-depth historical detail and fast-paced action, Ms. Blake's superb novel sweeps you away into a vastly different time and place. Never dull, she draws you into the story of Elise's and Reynaud's increasing love for each other against the background of a world in violent transition.

Fierce Eden immerses you in cultures far different from our own, but where human nature remains the same. Elise, while a woman of her time, is no passive victim. She fights against her fate, and fails and succeeds in turn. Reynaud, as both French and Natchez, is torn between two worlds and must make the wrenching decision of where to place his loyalties.

I love Jennifer Blake. Her novels are exactly the kind of meaty read I adore. Ms. Blake wrote FIERCE EDEN in 1985 and the good news is--she's still writing. Even better, she still writes the same wonderful type of story. May she write for a long time to come, so we fans can enjoy her new novels along with her treasures of the past.

Linda Banche

ARC provided by Sourcebooks

Elise Laffont and Reynaud Chavalier's trek through the forest to escape mayhem brings to mind the beginning of the Longfellow poem "Evangeline":

"This is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks,

Bearded with moss, and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight..."

Fierce Eden is a vicarious trip back in history with strong, resourceful, and, of course, flawed characters that are memorable. Their will to live, their determination to hold on to the culture they know, and their resilience is mindboggling--awesome reading.

The Natchez Indian Uprising, after so many years of ill treatment by the French, sets in motion events that start gigantic changes in the social structure of Louisiana Territory in the early eighteenth century. Fierce Eden is spellbinding.

Elise Laffont is a widow who has managed her property well since the death of her abusive husband, but her independent ways go against the grain of the many men who want her and her property. She's been able to meet and beat their challenges until the Natchez Indians attack, killing and burning. Hiding in the forest, with nothing but the clothes on her back, she makes necessary decisions to stay alive. Her back-story gives the reader revealing insight into her survival instincts, her intelligence, and her skill with people.

The French-educated Reynaud Chavalier, half Natchez and half French, drives a hard bargain before he agrees to take Elise and other "on-the-run" French to a safe post. His own agenda puts him in danger, but he knows what he wants and is willing to take the risk. He seems to embody the best of both cultures in which he was reared. He is unquestionably a hero-though a somewhat flawed one. Even flawed, he is a lover that makes the heart race. To Elise who has suffered at the hands of every man she's ever known, Reynaud is unbelievable. The freedom of choice he gives her becomes an aphrodisiac to Elise--the love scenes sizzle.

Elise and Reynaud's love story reaches far past the physical. It shows a love that is loyal, faithful, giving, and felt to the core. However, Fierce Eden is much more than just a love story. It plumbs the depth of the human condition, reveals every one of the Cardinal Sins, yet, shows the compassion and caring that some of the characters never lose even when all hope seems gone. It also showcases how history is made and cultures changed.

Jennifer Blake, a master story teller, transports the reader to another time and place as she weaves together incredible descriptions of the environment, historical information, cultural differences, and a fantastic love story to create a tale that will be remembered long after the last page is read. Marvelous reading!

Originally posted at The Long and Short of It Romance Reviews

FIERCE EDEN by Jennifer Blake is a wonderful historical romance set in 1700's Louisiana

and Mississippi.This book was originally released in 1985.It is well written with depth,details,full of historical facts, twists and turns.It has Indians,strong characters,passion,sweet sensuality,obligation to family,slavery by the Natchez,romance,adventure, Natchez Indians,massacre,Louisana Bayou,sacrifice and of course love.The hero,Reynaud,is half Natchez,half French,handsome,well educated,handsome,tattoo over his chest,strong,determined,the brother of the Natchez chief,becomes the Natchez war chief,desires the heroine,helps a few of the French escape massacre for a small price,the beautiful French widow(Elise),and is a French gentleman.The heroine,Elise,is a widow,French,beautiful,fear of the marriage bed due to her dead husband,must willingly go to Reynaud's bed for him to lead them to safety,has a determination to survive, and will survive with the help of Reynaud learns that their are good and evil men in the world,Reynaud's is a good,kind,and decent man.Together,they embark on an adventure that will bring them to trust each other,for Reynaud runs the gauntlet to save Elise,and Reynaud will bind Elise to him forever.This is a wonderfully written story of love,passion,sacrifice,saving a enemy,saving a culture,leaving a shattered heart in the past,starting a future of happiness,love and trust.If you enjoy Indian culture,learning more of the Louisiana and Mississippi history,Indian culture I would highly recommend this story.It is fast paced,action packed,full of adventure,page turning,with a list of unique characters.This book was received for the purpose of review from the publisher and details can be found at Sourcebooks Casablance,an imprint of Sourcebooks,Inc and My Book Addiction and More.