Most Helpful Customer Reviews
40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Only for the strong hearted, November 2, 2004
I first discovered Bertrice Small in my grandfather's library. Yes, my grandfather read her books. At first I thought her books were a little too perverted. And then I realized that what they are is REALISTIC!
The first thing anyone wishing to read ANY Bertrice Small books needs to know is THEY ARE NOT TYPICAL ROMANCES! In almost all of her books, the heroine has multiple lovers. Sex scenes are ALWAYS graphic! There are rapes, incest, more than just missionary style, etc. She does not edit. Her characters live lives common for the time period. Her stories do not always have happy endings, just like in real life. There is death (of characters you will like). That is just how her books are.
If you want a regular romance where, no matter where you are in the book, you know that the hero and the heroine will be together by the end, Bertrice Small is NOT the writer for you!
The women in her lives always have hard lives, hard choices. They love many times, lose children and spouses, are set upon by the world around them. Depending on the setting of the story (year and place) each story is different.
In a typical woman's life anytime between 1100 and 1900, she could expect to have any of these things happen. She was born, grew up, parents or siblings may be killed, she may be raped (a woman's sex was her weakness), she may fall in love, may give herself willingly in marriage or not, may spend her entire life with a husband she hated or one she loved. She would probably have children, some who may die at birth. She may have miscarriages, or lose children to disease. She may even die in childbirth. If she was lucky, she would live to be over 60. The world was ruled by greedy, powerhungry men.
That is how reality was. And that is how Bertrice Small writes.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best erotic romance, June 17, 2002
By A Customer
I read this book when it was first released, nearly 20 years ago. It made me a fan of romantic erotica for life. I have every book Bertrice Small has written, and few if any have disappointed. She tells a grand tale, and never teases, always delivers. Her characters are three-dimensional and you become emotionally invested in them: for years, in the case of the O'Malley dynasty. Skye is a marvelous heroine, and her family saga is fascinating, rich, and wonderfully written. I'm still in love with the Duke of Southwood. You can't go wrong with this book or this author! Some reviewers have called the erotica in this book "trashy." I respectfully beg to differ! Descriptions of sexual enjoyment in a romance novel aren't trash, they're beautiful! Do we consider our own sex lives garbage? I don't. So why relegate wonderfully written depictions of sexual activity to the garbage can? It's a real pity that the enjoyment of erotica is still so taboo. Bravo to Bertrice Small for writing the best of this genre. I wish more books that are advertised as "sexy" and "romantic" were as honest as this. I've just finished a well-known vampire series that, given the reviews, I expected to be along the lines of this book, and to my regret the only explicit depictions were of violence and death; the romance was non-existant, the eroticism teased but never delivered. I kept reading each book, hoping some aspect of the character's love life would be resolved, to no avail. What a disappointment! If you want real romance, real passion, real eroticism, read Bertrice Small's works. You won't be disappointed.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent departure from the average romance, June 15, 2000
Skye O'Malley is not your average heroine. She has the responsibility of heading her family thrust upon her at an early age, yet holds that responsibility with grace and determination. Skye is a reflection of Elizabeth I of England who must rise above the men who would fight her for her throne. Skye's life although more adventurous and sexually exciting, mirrors much of Elizabeth's life and the common threads of their lives are frequently commented upon. With great historical accuracy, Bertrice Small shows us many different cultures during this time period by giving us a strong, central character who triumphs not despite being a woman, but because she is a woman. In real life, very few women love just one man in their lifetime. Neither does Skye. This book is not your average happily-ever-after. Bertrice Small goes beyond the average romance formula and creates her own. I have yet to find an author like her and continously read and reread all of her books.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
