Customer Reviews

The Sea Wife

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Oh my. I thought I'd 'read' tortured heroes, and knew them all. Now I'm rethinking. Myles Dampier is a brooding, incredibly tortured hero, unjustly sent first to the stinking hulks on the Thames, then transported as a convict to New South Wales. We meet him when he's on his way back to mother England, full of molten vengeance for his betrayers. Sabina Grey also meets him, when he rescues her from a shipwreck in the wild seas. Theirs is a stormy relationship, as Sabina realizes she's caught a seething tiger by the tail. And Myles? He cannot relinquish his plans for vengeance. Not even for Sabina, who falls in love with him even as she's horrified by his dark side.

The romance in this book is stunning. It is lush and sensual, a little dark but very, very mesmerizing. Thrilling, even. I found myself holding my breath as each new scene revealed a little more of Myles' and Sabina's incredible internal conflicts, and revealed more and more of their characters - wow! This will satisfy Gothic romance readers, and fans of Mary Jo Putney, Laura Kinsale, Loretta Chase and Candice Proctor. Bravo, Holly Cook! I can't wait to read your next book.

As a voracious reader of Historical Romance, I am delighted to have discovered Holly Cook. Her debut novel The Sea Wife is a credit to the genre.

It's been a long time since I've read such an enthralling tale; the story is populated with real 'blood and bone' characters that draw you into their time and trials with consummate ease.

Predominantly, this is an intelligent book with tons of quick, dry humour. Ms Cook's dialogue sparkles and the chemistry between her hero and heroine is crackling. Sabina Grey is a sassy, spirited protagonist with great compassion and Myles Dampier a tortured hero to take your breath away.

I guarantee it; by the last page you'll be wishing you were Myle's Mermaid. A truly satisfying read!

The Sea Wife is a book that reminds me of all the reasons why I stopped reading many historical romances. There aren't enough like this one! The Sea Wife entertains the reader while not annoying the reader by being historically inaccurate. Holly Cook manages to weave a wonderfully entertaining Gothic tale while not straying from historical accuracy - which makes it a rollicking good tale in the vein of Laura Kinsale. Any reader who likes a really vivid story with true-to-life characters, a good Alpha hero and a heroine with guts and fire, and secondary characters that are simply adorable, I recommend The Sea Wife thoroughly!

Who is Holly Cook and where has she been hiding? I read The Sea Wife from cover to cover in one session. I couldn't put it down! She is a breath of fresh air, a new voice that blends humour and lover's angst in a fine balance that holds the reader breathless. The hero and heroine possess wit and intelligence that translates to fast-paced dialogue that leaves us enthralled - and a passion for each other that is truly palpable. That passion just zings!

These are people you really love - they demand you stay with them till their story is done - and when it is - you wish you could peek into the future and spend just a bit more time with them. I grieved it coming to an end.

The mermaid theme is subtle, even on land, and does not detract one iota from the shivers that rippled down my spine each time that gorgeous alpha hero called his beautiful heroine, 'mermaid'. Even when he is being ironic. Be still my heart!

Adding to the overall story, which is colourful both in plot and setting, the intriguing cast of secondary characters is so fresh and so entertaining that if Ms Cook's main charcters were not so strong - they would steal the show. They don't - for which full credit must go to Ms Cook's deft hand.

If you want to be truly entertained and satisfied in the full sense of the terms, and drawn into a story that never lets you down, read The Sea Wife. It is a most delightful surprise - a story that completely swept me up and wouldn't let me go.

This is an author who convinced me she knows her history and her settings but never once bashed me on the head with either. I'll certainly be looking for more Holly Cook stories.
Thankyou Holly Cook!

This was a very good debut book for the author, a romance with mystery and gothic overtones. Myles saves Sabina from drowning when they are in a shipwreck and nurses her back to health after they are rescued. He ends up proposing marriage so that he can use her to get revenge against those who betrayed him and sent him into exile when he was young. He's grown up to become arrogant and manipulative, enigmatic and secretive. Sabina is a little naive at first and falls in love with her rescuer, unaware of the real reason he married her and of his darker side.
When they get back to England, she finds herself living with a changed man--moody, brooding and very temperamental. He is so driven with vengeance that he has no other aim in life but to achieve it. She fights to gain his love as and weathers through passionate and stormy times with him, as he fights to keep his emotions hidden and at bay. She is determined to turn him away from his hatred and thirst for vengeance, to rescue him from himself and teach him to enjoy life and gain happiness.
The mystery plot is interesting with some surprises, but what I enjoyed best about this book was the story of their ensuing relationship and conflicts throughout - the dialog and tension keeps you reading to find out what lies ahead for these two. The best scenes were those between them on the high seas, alone as the only passengers after being rescued by a passing merchant ship. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading her next.

This debut novel by Holly Cook had me hooked from page 1. I have read so many historical romances where the heroine was a simpering little miss, but not here - Sabina knows her mind and is not afraid to show it.
Myles is the archetypal brooding, gothic hero who is eventually won over by an intelligent, loving woman who can match his passion as an equal.
I think this book should be categorized as more than just a romance novel. The quality of the writing is up there with the best: there is suspense, addiction and more.
I can't wait for the next book by this stunning new author.

Near the end of his sea voyage from Australia to England, Miles Dampier rescues a drowning woman from the ocean. On his ship, he nurses his "mermaid" back to health. The grateful Sabina Grey thinks a Selkie saved her life as she recovers yet knows she loves her savior. The ship's captain marries Miles and Sabina, though they hardly know one another.

In London, the caring attentive male she fell in love with vanishes, as Miles becomes temperamental and thoughtless. He has returned home seeking vengeance that eats at his soul and erodes their love. Having faced death once, Sabina refuses to allow her spouse to destroy what they can have if he would let go his hatred.

The support cast is as diverse and interesting as any historical romance will contain. The story line is thrilling, albeit a bit more exciting on the High Seas than when the lead characters are on land. Sabina is a strong heroine who goes after what she wants, which is the return of the beloved man she first met. Though the dramatic change in Miles seems too radical, romance readers will value Holly Cook's delightful concoction, webbed feet and all.

Harriet Klausner

I had given up on reading historical romances - until a friend lent me her copy of the Sea Wife.

The characterisation in this book is fantastic. The relationship between the hero and heroine is one of continual tension, making the reader both unable to put the book down, and eager to reach the resolution.

The smarmy agent and the delightful imp picked up in the streets of London are bonus characters who add to the story without taking away from the excellent plot.

There were some interesting "twists" in this tale which caught me by surprise - a new feeling for this jaded reader!

The author obviously has a feel for this period in history, and it shows through in the authentic portrayal of each situation in which the characters find themselves.

If Holly Cook can write up to this high standard in her succeeding novels - bring them on. More please - and soon!!!!

The opening of this novel is quite good. The hero and heroine are rescued at sea, the only survivors of their passenger vessel. From there it goes downhill.

The heroine Sabina is saved from drowning by fellow passenger Myles. She and he marry aboard ship as she has no close relations back in England and Sabina thinks she loves Myles, although this never comes across in her actions. Myles is an ex convict and totally cryptic. This story is told from the heroine's viewpoint only and maybe if I had Myle's view I would have liked the leads better.

Sabina's actions never make sense. She wants Myles to confide in her but when he gives snippets of info Sabina is dismissive and at times unsympathetic to his past. Why would he want to reveal more? Myles is condescending and I never knew when he fell in love with the insipid Sabina.

Myles is bent on revenge. He believes his cousin had him carted off to New Wales after he made off with the beautiful heiress his cousin later married. Sabina is furious with Myles for wanting revenge and rants a lot about how much she hates living in the ancestral home. Her many insecurities began to wear thin. Myles was so withdrawn that the reader never really knows who he is other than a man whose sole purpose is vengeance. He is not really unkind to his wife; it comes across more as disinterest. When the leads express their love to each other in the last chapter of the novel, this reader never believed them.

I have been struggling to finish this book for about a week now. Oh, was it ever painful. I have absolutely no idea why I insisted on finishing it, but finish it I did...oh, what a chore! First of all, for me to like a romance written from only the heroines point of view, it has to be exceptional. "The Sea Wife" was far from it. The h/h drove me insane and I could never understand what Sabina saw in Myles when all he ever was was nasty. I will admit that the book finally got SOMEWHAT interesting at page 185. This is the ONLY REASON I awarded this story with more than 1 star. Would I recommend this?? Well, if you are an insomniac and need something to bore you into unconciousness, then by all means..partake. As for the rest of you readers out there who value your precious free time...youve been warned!