Customer Reviews

Sweet Savage Eden (North American Woman)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I am a Pamunkey Indian and I wish to commend Ms. Graham for her research and correct use of the Tribe in her book. This is the ONLY book I have ever seen that uses the Tribe name and the history of our people. We are the forgotten tribe. I love to read historical romances and this is one of the best I have ever read. I had to buy the book again as my last copy began to fall apart from my constant rereading of it.

I read this for the first time as a teenager--pilfered it from the paperbacks section of the library, actually. As a hormone-ruled young man confused about his sexuality and fascinated by the dangerous sensuality of Jamie Cameron, I really enjoyed the book as a teen. Now, over a decade later, I picked up a new copy of the book and found myself shaking my head in annoyance over the same character I'd found so fascinating. Overall the story lacks in many areas, but it's the relationship between Jassy and Jamie that baffles me. Their conversations are unrealistic (and that's after the typical suspension of disbelief one wields when diving into historical romance) and utterly lacking in any flow or chemistry, and Jamie is pointlessly cruel and stubborn in ways that do nothing to flesh out his character. You don't expect romance-novel males to be realistic; that's part of the fun. They're a fantasy. I just can't imagine Jamie Cameron as anyone's ideal fantasy, when he offers very little to make him sympathetic--and very little to make him believably strong and powerful other than his own wanking on about how he takes what he wants and does what he wants. Any compassion or kindness that he shows in an effort to make him sympathetic to the reader just comes off as a sneering, smirking game to toy with Jassy even more. He displays little to no remorse when it's demonstrated that his treatment of her, in many cases, is wholly unjustified. The part near the end, after the (SPOILER) birth of their son, when things seem to be getting better until he abruptly decides to distance himself and dismiss Jassy back to England really just comes out of nowhere and seems to make little sense and have little motivation other than the author's desire to create one more rift between them that's solved by the final conflict.

I'm not a big fan of the flat, one-dimensional portrayal of characters such as Hope or Powan, either--and I'm not saying that just because I'm part Native. I'm looking at them from a professional writer's perspective, not an offended Native American's (the research put into that aspect was actually quite good, and I have to agree with the tribe member's review there). It's the characters themselves and not the depiction of their culture that lacks.

The sex is steamy, even if full of the vague euphemisms one expects. (Isn't that part of the fun of romance novels? Removing the messier, more awkward aspects of sex to focus on the better parts?) Oddly, as a boy I didn't like Jassy much. Now that I'm older I find myself enjoying her more, down to the point of feeling terrible for her after the way Jamie treated her despite the fact that she's a bit of a stubborn, stuck-up brat. I also loved Elizabeth and would have loved to see more of her character. Jassy's half-brother, on the other hand, seemed to suffer from the same melange of unnecessary cruelty and jerkishness as Jamie, while people constantly excused him for it. Yes, sometimes characters will be jerks, just as sometimes real people are jerks. But these two lacked reason and depth, and the story was presented as if their actions were supposed to make sense when, in truth, they didn't.

I'm rating this 3/5 for three reasons:

1. This book introduced me to Heather Graham, who's become one of my favorite romance novelists;
2. despite my complaining, parts of it were enjoyable (and I don't just mean the passionately depicted sex); and
3. sheer nostalgia, as despite finding more to criticize with age, this book brought back many fond memories of my youth.

This was one of the first romance novels I had ever read. The first time i read it...I thought no book could ever come close. That was about 4 years ago...the other day I went back and read it again. I was expecting myself to be dissapointed...your tastes change. But the book was exactly the same. I still loved it! The characters...the settings...the story...like nothing I've ever read. I've told all my friends about this book, they all loved it. And I just had to write an online review! So if you're even slightly interested...do buy this book. You won't regret it.

One of the best of Heather Graham for sure! Could not put this one down - in spite of, at times, wanting to personally castrate the main character, Jamie. He's hard-nosed, obnoxious, and downright mean to Jassie, but Graham brings it together so well at the end and has enough depth of characterization that in spite of the hero's decidely unheroic behavior at times, we do begrudgingly understand him. My hatred of him, at times, made me obsessively keep turning pages! Could not put it down. Not for you if you don't like borderline rape scenes, obsession and controlling male characters. That said, I found Jamie to be just the type of man who came to conquer the New World, and had the type of personality it would have required. My hat's off to Graham for this one!

From the first time Jasmine's eyes met those of Lord Jamie Cameron in a smoky British inn, theirs was the wrong kind of attraction-not gentle,slow,and easy, but hot,hard and all-consuming. The illegitimate daughter of an actess and a duke, Jassy had dreams no man could wrench from her. She'd resist this bold nobleman with all the strength of her soul. But her golden hair, fiery temperament, and indomitable spirit obessed Lord Cameron...and he wanted her with him when he sailed for the new wilderness called Virginia. So he had a bargain for the spit-fire Jassy, one that only a very special woman would dare to make. I loved the story but I got tired of the constant battles and stubborness. These characters could've stood to be alittle less prideful and admitted their true feelings before the last page of the book!

I have never really liked romance novels until I read this book. Sweet Savage Eden is a steamy romance but also adventure that will keep you reading way into the night. You will love Jassy and Jamie Cameron and their love storey. What is best about this book is that you can keep reading about the Cameron family in many more books that follow and believe me after you read this book you will keep on buying and reading the rest!!!!

I'll admit, I was intrigued the for the first 20 or 30 pages of the book when you first meet this supposedly drop dead gorgeous poor young orphan. However, after the 2 handsome strangers jerk her away to meet her "rich" estranged family all the suspense dies there. There is absolutely NO PLOT in this book and the romantic dialogue in the book certainly does NOT make you blush! So if the books is free, try it, but if its not, don't waste your hard earned money!

I've only ever read one other book by Heather Graham before (and didn't enjoy it very much), but knowing her popularity, I decided to pick this up and give her writing another chance.

What a pleasant surprise. While no deep thought went into historical accuracy, or the characters (the subcharacters are particularly shallow, changing their personalities like other people change clothes), the book is actually a "good read", mostly due to a hero who becomes more & more sympathetic as the book goes on (he's the first to admit his love, if only to himself). Not quite a keeper, perhaps, but definitely a guilty pleasure!

This is the first in the North American Women trilogy which is a part of the Cameron Saga series (see list below). I highly recommend these romances. They were the ones that led me to become a huge fan of Heather Graham's work. This is the first book in the series and I just loved it.

This is Jasmine's ("Jassy") and Jamie's story, which begins in 17th century England and leads to the New World (Virginia). Jassy has had a hard life as the bastard daughter of a dead nobleman whose mother dies for lack of medical attention. She learns of her connections to a noble family and they take her in as little better than a servant. There she meets the dark Lord Cameron who wants to marry her because she reminds him of his "wild Virginia" he has come to love and where he is building a life. Jassy thinks she is in love with his friend the charming and fair Robert, but Robert has other plans. Jassy doesn't want to die in starvation and poverty like her mother, so she consents to wed Jamie.

Jamie Cameron wants the beautiful Jassy...she makes his blood boil. He thinks she will be strong enough to endure the life in the wilderness where there are still Indians and pressures just to survive. But Jamie does not tell Jassy, who longs for the security of Jamie's beautiful manor in England, that he is taking her away from England to the wild America. She does not love him. She does not even like him and is honest that she is marrying him so she will not starve. Can she love a man she hates? Can she forget the fair Robert? Can Jamie love the tavern wench who wants only his wealth? So begins an adventure that is so well told and so well done, I will read it again and again.

Heather Graham's writing is just superb. Her portrait of early America is wonderful. The story pulls you in and does not let you go. There are no slow spots as the action and characters become so real. The sexual tension permeates the book and is very believable. You love Jassy and Jamie and you will find yourself drawn back to those historical times at the beginning of America. This is a keeper!

Here's the Cameron Saga:

The North American Women trilogy: Sweet Savage Eden, A Pirate's Pleasure and Love Not a Rebel
The Camerons in Civil War trilogy: One Wore Blue, And One Wore Gray, And One Rode West

This was the first romance novel I read and I loved it so much I had to read more! It is a book you can pick up and read anytime over and over.