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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Why Virginia Henley is a LEADER in romance!!!, September 9, 2005
Yes, I have been disappointed by Virigina Henley in the past. Some of her books have been just like reading raunchy porn and it was difficult to relate to characters through the smut...but sometimes she gets it right and The Pirate and the Pagan is perfected example of this.
Summer, or "Cat" as is her nickname, is a divine portrayl of humanity and survival, fire and passion. I loved her completely and understood her fiery tempers. She is just as the title of the book implies...a Pagan...a earthy Goddess.
Ruark is a man dominated by is passions. A master authoritarian and regal in bearing. He is devilishly handsome and sensual in his appetites. A man of two sides. Hot tempered and jealous in one instant and devistatingly tender the next.
They instantly feel each others pull.
So what do you expect when two incindiary spirits collide? They explode! The are passionate for each other even when they are tearing each other apart. Henley drags these two through the proverbial mud and I was left on the edge of my seat, so to speak, to see how on earth they would get through their mess.
The sex, as some complained about in their reviews, was in my mind absolutely appropriate. It wouldn't be at all appropriate for them to be luke warm for each other. And in my opinion what makes sex scenes in books unreadable is when the story is so poorly written that the book is reduced to paragraphs between episodes of smut.
Henley doesn't write ignorant books. Even the Henley books I hated (hated isn't the same thing as indifferent mind you)showed care in research and time and thought into story progression. Her writing is so important she never writes mindless filler you can skip over. You could never skim her book and know whats going on as you can with some other authors.
This book is going on my Forever--save them from a burning building--shelf along with it's equals, Whitney My Love and Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught, Lady Sofia's Lover by Lisa Kleypas, The Lady Lies by Samantha Saxon, Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and All Through the Night by Connie Brockway.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book, November 2, 2001
I have just recently "found" Virginia Henley, and so far with the exception of just one book (The Raven and the Rose) I have loved them all. Set during the reign of Charles II Raurk and Cat's love story is a page turner. A wonderful love story with a surprise twist at the end. From the Court of Charles II to the wild wind swept Cornish coast to the wild and sexy pirate Rory this is a great love story. The characters are human and make mistakes but in the end what brings the characters together in the first place, ties them together in the end. Rich with historic accounts of the Great London Fire, the Plauge, and the Dutch war and actual historic figures you will not be let down.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ambivalence - I Hate It And I Love It!, November 21, 2006
This novel is both trash and an aphrodesiac. I put it down in disgust, and I pick it back up to read some more. I read parts out loud to the laughter of everyone in my carpool, then tell them to shut up so I can continue reading. The opening pages were so full of gaudy double-entendres that I nearly tossed the book in the trash when I first opened it. But I kept reading. I hate it, and I love it.
So why do I continue to read it? Better yet, WHY AM I ON MY THIRD COPY???
How many more times can you describe sex? And what is with the boardwalk t-shirt quotes? "If it swells, ride it." "Heaven doesn't want me and hell's afraid I'll take over!" This book should come with a sound-effects button to push for a flourish of trumpets after stupid sayings like that. Those phrases just don't work coming out of the mouths of 18th-century people.
Why do the heroines always swagger prettily and the men glare thunderously? Why do the heroines of Henley's novels ALWAYS have "upthrusting" and "impudent" body parts? Why do the men's descriptions defy reality? For the love of God...there's got to be a better way to word this!
And yet...for all the over-the-top descriptions, all the glorious flowing hair and hard, fur-pelted chests, all the sea spray and emerald eyes and upthrusting impudence, there's a decent story. A starving girl makes a desperate attempt to pay off a mortgage on her home, and all she has to pawn is her good looks and her keen mind. Her savior just happens to be the magistrate of the district, feared by many smugglers. What happens next, I leave to you to find out.
It's obvious Ms. Henley researches the time period, and she can tell a wonderful story, once you get past all the treacle, windswept nonsense, and fluttering lashes. This is my favorite of her historical/hysterical romances, and I'll probably be looking for a fourth copy soon.
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