Hellion [Mass Market Paperback]

Bertrice Small (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 29, 1997

SHE WAS CALLED BELLE FROM HELL. . . .



As fierce and indomitable as any man, Isabelle of Langston rules the family lands with an iron hand after her father's death. But the brazen beauty meets her match in Hugh Fauconier, bold knight and rightful Saxon heir to Langston Keep. By the king's hand, he is made her husband. Hugh's virile prowess reveals to Belle the delicious pleasures of the flesh, as their turbulent days of verbal sparring melt into nights of erotic abandon.



But a treacherous plot enslaves Hugh to the evil Vivienne d' Bretagne, a sorceress whose sexual magic is as powerful as it is dark. Discovering the castle lair where her husband is enchanted, Belle is caught and rendered helpless by the twisted passion of Vivienne's brother, Guy. But not even her captor's devious ecstasy can destroy her will to free her beloved Hugh. . . .



"The plot is cleverly woven into the history of the times in such a way as to make the era come to life on the written page. . . . Ms. Small once again delights and thrills."

*Rendezvous



An Alternate Selection of the Literary Guild(c) and Doubleday Book Club(c)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The title says it all! Bertrice Small manages to artfully combine history and sex in this engaging medieval historical romance. Hugh Fauconier tames his virgin bride with warm caresses and soft compliments, but the novel reaches its crescendo when innocent Belle is exposed to the naughty and evil sexual sorcerer, Guy d' Bretagne.

From Publishers Weekly

Set in the early 12th century, between Henry Beauclerc's ascension to the English throne in 1100 and his eventual victory over his older brother Duke Robert of Normandy at the battle of Tinchebrai in 1106, Small's (Skye O'Malley) latest mixes a goodly bit of history with lots of her signature sex?some gruffly randy and some sinisterly practiced. Hugh Fauconier, a childhood friend of Henry Beauclerc, is rewarded with Langston, the lands of his Saxon ancestors. Like all good things, they come with fine print, in this case the late Norman lord's daughter, known with varying degrees of disaffection as Isabelle or "the Belle from Hell." But Hugh's a good sort and manages to woo the headstrong young woman, marry her and father a son before going off on business for his king. When he doesn't return, Belle sets out in search of him. She fights off the lustful King Henry in one of the more entertaining sections before heading to Brittany, where she finds the amnesiac Hugh in thrall to two decadent descendants of Vivienne (as in Merlin and). Belle herself becomes a strangely willing sex slave as she attempts, somewhat leisurely, to save Hugh. There's lots of history here and a good eye for detail, and the sex is (usually) compelling, but Small really needs to lose those gratuitous spanking scenes.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Ivy Books (January 29, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449150380
• ISBN-13: 978-0449150382
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 3.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #438,603 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bertrice Small is a New York Times bestselling author with more than 34 novels in print. She lives in the oldest English-speaking town in New York state. Her website is bertricesmall.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not for the faint of heart., July 8, 2001

By 

mirope "mirope" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hellion (Mass Market Paperback)

If you're not familiar with Bertrice Small's books and are likely to be offended by graphic [love] scenes, this is not the book for you. Don't say I didn't warn you. Personally, I generally enjoy Small's books because of the way she really tries to interweave her plot with actual history and because she creates such vivid and strong characters. Believe me, there are no shrinking violets in this book. Here, Hugh, the male lead, is ordered to marry Isabelle by the king. In the beginning of the book, Belle is more of a spoiled brat than a hellion. Hugh is an unusual but likable hero. He isn't handsome, but he is kind and loyal. Through a lot of plot twists, Hugh loses his memory and is more or less enslaved by a sorceress. Belle comes to rescue him but becomes equally enslaved to the sorceress' brother. Belle fairly willingly becomes his [love] slave while Hugh is busy with the sister. Things only get weirder from there. One of the things I liked best about the book was that once Hugh and Belle get away from the kinky duo, they don't automatically blissfully reunite. They actually have a lot of emotional baggage to work through - a nice realistic touch as opposed to the pat romance novel ending.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully Erotic!, November 14, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Richmond, Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hellion

Isabelle of Langston has no intentions of marrying Hugh Fauconier, even though the king decrees it. Known as "Belle from Hell," she is a strong-willed woman determined to have her way in all things. But Hugh wants Langston and Belle. He woos her with gentle intensity until she willingly gives her heart and her body to him. Their passion is as powerful as their love and Belle discovers that marriage to Hugh is everything she could ever want. Dark forces seek to separate the lovers when Hugh is enchanted by a sorceress who wants him for her own. Though Hugh and Belle's love is strong, the sex magic of Vivienne d'Bretagne is stronger. Hugh forgets his past-- forgets Belle-- and becomes Vivienne's lover. Belle's search for her missing husband leads her to the castle of the d'Bretagnes. Masquerading as a young man, Belle's identity is discovered by Vivienne's brother Guy. He wants Belle for his own plaything and weaves his web of magic to ensure that she will stay by his side. Unlike Hugh, Belle must endure Guy's passion with her memory intact. Her heart cries out for her beloved Hugh while Guy takes her to new heights of ecstasy. Caught up in the dark desires of their captors, Hugh and Belle must find a way to break free of the spell that enslaves them. For Belle, the torture of giving her body to another man is only a shadow of the pain she feels at seeing her husband with another woman. Determined to win her husband back, Belle plays her part to perfection. But when Hugh discovers what lengths his wife has gone to in order to save him, will he be able to forgive her? Intensely erotic scenes and language have become hallmarks of Bertrice Small's fiction and Hellion is no exception. The story is lush, passionate and often explicit in its descriptions of lovemaking. An unusual menage a trois scene may surprise some readers, but fans of Bertrice Small have come to expect excellence from her and they will not be disappointed in Hellion.Hellion is Bertrice Small at her very best! Her fans will be lining up to buy this one! Magnificent! Once again, Bertrice Small proves herself to be the reigning queen of romance! Erotica, romance, love and lust! Hellion is the perfect book to keep you warm on a cold winter's night! Some authors push the boundaries of romantic fiction to the limits-- Bertrice Small doesn't just push the limits, she reinvents them!Kristina Wright

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars romance or erotica?....this ain't barbara cartland........., May 31, 2005

By 

Elizabeth Cook (treasure coast, usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hellion (Mass Market Paperback)

hot, hot, hot! and not for the faint of heart! while other reviews about this book go into the storyline..... i'm going to get right to the goodstuff. this is erotica at it's best or romance at it's worst depending on what type you like. this book has everything from straight sex, to oral, anal,double penetration,rape, dildos, bondage and more than implies incest.....this is not your mother's barbra cartland.
the first time i read one of bertrice small's "romance novels." i was shocked,then appalled, then fascinated and more than a little stimulated...... it takes a special talent to blend a historical with a fantasy, create strong and vibrant characters. and oh my gosh! the sex.......everything from belle's tender deflowering by hugh, to her mother's brutal rape on top of a horse,to the threesome between belle,hugh and guy. sure to make more than a few of you ladies wince and squirm in your chair.
i personally loved this book and became a diehard fan of ms. small. but then i enjoyed it for what it is......erotica for women. if i want to read a nice, sweet romance, i'll pick up kathleen woodiweiss or joanna lindsey. but when i'm alone and have nothing better to do, on a cold rainy afternoon, the husband and kids gone....i'll pick up my tattered copy of hellion and read the dog earred pages for the hundreth time.........