Siren (Signet Eclipse) [Mass Market Paperback]

Cheryl Sawyer (Author)

Book Description

Series: Signet Eclipse | Publication Date: January 4, 2005

A sizzling talent never before published in the U.S., Cheryl Sawyer delivers an epic that explodes with passion, intrigue, and war. From the pristine beaches of the Caribbean islands to the colorful streets of New Orleans, Siren cuts through waves of high-seas adventure, desperate desire, and political intrigue-and will leave readers breathless in its wake.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Notorious pirate Jean Laffite aims to take Leonore Roncival's island home, her weapons, and her treasure, but pirate's daughter Leonore proves to be more than a worthy adversary. Vowing to defend what is rightfully hers, she tries to stay as far away from the sinfully handsome Jean as possible, and she begins a campaign to gain control of her father's legacy that earns her the nickname "Siren." But from the Caribbean to glittering New Orleans to a prison cell in Havana, Leonore finds her path crossing Jean's as she is forced to recognize that he is a formidable rival, an even more dangerous ally, and an irresistible lover. With its lavish use of history, boldly passionate story, and vividly detailed settings, Australian author Sawyer's American debut is a grand and glorious delight for fans of the classic love stories of Kathleen Woodiwiss and Rosemary Rogers. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Signet (January 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451213777
• ISBN-13: 978-0451213778
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,339,941 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly Entertaining Swashbuckler Historical, November 30, 2004

By 

M. Rondeau (West Springfield, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Siren (Signet Eclipse) (Mass Market Paperback)

Leonore Roncival, a pirates daughter, was rumored to be, among many things, a `siren' who lived her life on a private island paradise, surrounded by treasure, and who picked only the most handsomest men as her lovers. So it was with this knowledge that Jean Lafitte, the legendary pirate, came to conquer her domain and steal her treasures. - Only he found that her legendary beauty was nothing compared to the reality and, as such, it would be she, his Lionheart, who conquered him in a passion that would be beyond anything either had ever known.

From the very first pages of this impressive novel the reader is treated to a colorful tapestry of sights and impressions set amongst the vivid streets of New Orleans to the colorful beaches of the Caribbean as the author takes you on a high seas adventure blending fiction with actual historical fact. In highlighting the political struggles during this time the author captures the flavor of the period in keeping the reader entertained as she cleverly weaves in the tumultuous love affair between Leonore and the pirate, Jean Lafitte.

As a lover of history, I certainly enjoyed the factual (I looked up several of the mentioned names and events) references to the people and of course, to Jean Lafitte himself. Although little is truly known of Lafitte's origins, the legends surrounding his life certainly made him a truly fascinating character study. Leonore, was fictionalized although one could truly believe she just might have been real, or at the very least, it would have taken someone with her strengths and beauty to have finally captured the attention and the heart of the very elusive Jean Lafitte. Though attracted and loving each other as much as they did, her secret ancestry itself was as much an impediment as the foolish pride that kept them apart.

While I truly enjoyed the total historical aspect of the novel, it was not as heavily loaded with as much passionate sensuality as I personally like to see in a romance. The love affair and the dialogs were much more captivating than any actual sexual episodes which were generally summed up in a paragraph or two. Consequently, for those looking for hot, steamy and passionately descriptive episodes, you won't find them here. In spite of the lack of heavy sensuality, this was a most entertaining novel highlighting the trials and tribulations two star-crossed lovers had to overcome to be together. ---

Marilyn, for www.historicalromancewriters.com ---

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Utterly Captivating, January 30, 2005

By 

Carolyn MacCullough (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Siren (Signet Eclipse) (Mass Market Paperback)

I stayed up until almost 3:00 AM to finish this book. This is a wonderful novel rich with vibrant characters and a vivid historical setting. The hero and heroine are perfectly matched to each other and each of their encounters is flawlessly written; by turns humorous, sensual, poignant and tender. If you enjoy pirates, a bold hero, a resourceful heroine, and an in depth potrayal of the 19th century, you will love this novel. I am certainly a fan of Cheryl Sawyers' writing and can't wait to read her other books.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a terrific historical romance, December 6, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Siren (Signet Eclipse) (Mass Market Paperback)

In 1812 in Haiti, Jean Lafitte questions one of his ship captains, Curtis of the Raleigh, about what he learned from meeting three days ago in Port-au-Prince with Roncival's daughter. Curtis says that "the whore of San Stefan" is recruiting crewmembers.

Concerned that the daughter of his deceased rival is hiring sailors after a year of no Roncival at sea, Jean leads his fleet to San Stefan. There he abducts Leonore Roncival to insure she poses no threat to his activities. The infamous pirate quickly learns she is defiantly not a chip off the old block as he finds he desires her with every inch of his heart. With the Napoleonic Wars in Europe about to overwhelm the Western Hemisphere especially the United States and the Caribbean, Jean and Leonore choose sides, but will they be together when the hostilities erupt?

This is a terrific historical romance that gives strong focus to early nineteenth century events, almost as much as the love subplot between two strong characters. Jean Lafitte as usual is a fascinating protagonist though it is difficult to separate the romanticized fiction from the reality. Leonore is his perfect counterpoint, but this reviewer could not find information to verify if she was his real soulmate. However, no one except historical fiction purists will care beyond curiosity as she makes his perfect counterpoint in Cheryl Sawyer's sweeping epic tale. SIRENS is a novel that wonderfully brings to life a bygone era in international relations when communications were too slow to stop the Battle of New Orleans even though the peace treaty was already signed.

Harriet Klausner