Customer Reviews

Island Flame

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

You've heard of readers who after reading a book from their favorite writers say, "well, it really wasn't one of her best." Well, this reader is coming right and saying it--this was the worst! The heroine is raped not once but twice. AND the guy while apologizing for the the last rape, adds that "she" made him so angry she provoked him. C'on now. No means no. The sexual violence throughout the book was so prevalent. The fact that the girl and guy (i can't even remember their names--shows you how much I cared about the characters!) end up in love is so puzzling because there is simply no chemistry between them. Furthermore, why she fell in love with the brute is beyond me. Okay I've read a few bodice ripping novels in my time and have enjoyed the fictional male he-man in many but masculinity does not mean savagery towards women. I am a fan of Karen Robards' later works and can only say she has certainly improved. Don't waste your time on this one.

I am a real Karen Robards fan, and was shocked at how TERRIBLE this book was. I could not get past the numerous rapes and beatings. Even when Kathy saves Jon from hanging, his first words to her are abusive. I couldn't even figure that scene out. He kissed her goodbye, got captured, she saves him from the hangman, and he calls her a -itch! I don't even think it was because he had to marry her. He had been thinking of marrying her already. Then the final rape scene at nearly the end of the book was the worst of all. She had born him a son, and this is how he treats her? I read romance novels all the time. I'm accustomed to the brooding, anti social heroes who eventually learn to love, but the rapes and physical abuse in this book were horrible. It has nothing to do with being PC and everything to do with enjoying romance stories because the heroes are sexy and/or attractive. I wouldn't let this man near me with a 10 foot pole. Karen Robards is a GREAT author, but do NOT read this book. Get her "One Summer" if you want a great love story.

I actually had to put this book down after several attempts to read it. I have read almost all of Robards' books and usually love them. The heroine is raped on several occasions, by the hero. Doesn't matter that the story took place in the 19th century, Robards glorified rape. On the first rape, the man partly seduced the girl, then raped her; Robards portrayed the rape in a sensual way. On the last rape, Robards described the man as stabbing in and out of her intentionally as punishment for an imagined wrong. The heroine accepts the concept that she deserved to be hurt in this manner, because she "supposedly" hurt the hero. We have enough to deal with in real rape cases, with the victim feeling to blame. We don't need that damaging concept perpetuated in a romance novel.

The "hero" also physically struck the heroine on several occasions. Spanking her, striking her in other ways. I couldn't find anything redeeming in his character. He was obnoxious and not likable.

I'm very disappointed in Karen Robards for writing this book.

Prepare yourself for a true pirate, or do not read this book.(*Rape scenes.)
He is a nasty viscious cutthroat. I waited on the fleeting moments Cathy was able to wring a drop of kindness out of him.

Jon was a neglected child who left home at sixteen to sail. Later, he became a pirate; committing robbery on the high seas! Not a licensed privateer, buccaneer, a sailor w/ a cause, or anything otherwise excused.

Yes, there were the misunderstandings as other reviews noted, but compared to other writers ... the conflicts didn't drag out. The build-ups and anticipation kept it exciting without being frustrating.

I loved it!

This is the worst book I have read in a very long time. I was really looking forward to reading this because I had just finished a few really good Robard books, but this was tedious to say the least. Throughout the whole novel Jon Hale ( I can't say hero) is abusing the heroine. First he kidnaps her then he rapes her over and over again and she despises him, and then in a blink she falls in love with him. How do you do that when he never treats you with any respect or even kindness. So he beats her, rapes her, calls her names, then they get married and he calls her a bith and a whore and then ten pages before the book ends he is raping her again!! And the worst part is I found out she made a sequel to this novel, Hmmmmmmmm....I wonder how he is going to treat her in that one. Don't waste your time with this book, I regret buying it.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but the summaries failed to mention this book is about the rape of a 16 year old girl by a 30+ year old man. Girl is raped by pirate, within a couple of hours girl has sex with pirate, eventually girl falls in love with pirate. If you enjoy reading books along this theme, then Island Flame is for you.

This is the first time I've ever given a bad review for a book - this deserves it. I read some of Karen Robards other books and LOVED them, but was absolutely horrified by this book. Not only does the hero rape the girl early in the book as described by other reviews, he rapes her much later in the book when they have been married for some time, and she doesn't even have any desire to leave him! Hardly even cares, though the author CERTAINLY wrote the scene so there was no doubt it was out-and-out rape. Oh well, Karen Robards other books are good romances, but stay far from this one, it is a traumatic read!

When I first started reading this book, I had high expectations that this would be an enjoyable read. It was- at first, until the rape scene. During her captivity on the ship, you can clearly see signs of abuse: heavy spanking, pushing the heroine's head under the water in a tub until drowning becomes almost imminent, and another rape later on in the story. The hero's character itself was not very appealing either: has a big, overinflated ego and callous regard for other people in general, aside from his crew members. The following is a dialogue between him and another crew member:

"Ahoy, Cap'n!" Harry came to stand beneath the mast, neck craned back to look at Jon (the hero) as he still worked high aloft.
"What is it?"
"About the prisoners, Cap'n. You want me to see about their ransoms while I'm ashore ordering supplies?"
"Hell, yes! The sooner we're rid of the stinking pests the better!"...

As you can see, the callous dismissal here is quite unmistakable and disturbing. After reading this particular scene, I couldn't continue. However I picked up the book again the following day and tried reading the rest but stopped permanently when I reached the second rape scene. Personally, since this is one of the author's first novels, I can understand why this book is the way it is but the whole situation with this arrogant hero is unbearable. If you want real gems, go for titles like Amanda Rose, Loving Julia, Night Magic, Wild Orchids and To Love a Man. These definitely won't disappoint!- You'll want them on your bookshelves for life!

IT'S TOO BAD THAT THE STAR SYSTEM DOESN'T GO BELOW A 1,BECAUSE I SURE WOULDN'T EVEN GIVE IT A 1.THE HERO IS A CHILD ABUSER OF 30+ WHO RAPES AND SLAPS AROUND A CHILD OF 17.I HATED IT.THIS IS THE FIRST AND LAST BOOK THAT I WILL EVER SPEND MY MONEY ON. I GOT SOOOO MAD THAT I THREW IT IN THE TRASH. IF THIS IS THE AUTHOR'S IDEA OF ROMANCE TURN ME INTO MRS. BOBBIT.

I used to read lots of these books in the 1980s, when this originally came out. Then again, even way back then, I wished the heroes hadn't been such jealous and arrogant bullies. And I wished the characters had acted with common sense when the Big Misunderstandings popped up.

The hero is a pillaging pirate, and the heroine is an innocent captive -- but of course, she doesn't remain innocent for long. There's forced seduction, rape, jealousy, verbal abuse, physical abuse, fighting, more verbal abuse, more rape, and more fighting. As bad as the rapes were, the verbal abuse scared me more than the rape -- because it was even more prevelant.

Jonathan is more than a decade older than Catherine. But he doesn't act like it. Catherine is also great a foot-stomping. As if the rapes weren't bad enough, the characters act like children.

I'm so glad Karen Robards has gotten better since this book (her first) came out. And I'm glad the publishers have stopped putting out rape fests like this one.

Anne M. Marble Reviewer, All About Romance