Customer Reviews

The Tiger's woman

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

 

 

It's 1869, San Francisco, and Mary Smith is running from her past. She ends up agreeing to be the mistress of lumber and shipping tycoon Jason Drake in exchange for his "protection." The saga that follows covers about five years as Mary and Jason find a life on his island in the San Juans.

I read this book because Romantic Times named it one of the 200 best in their 200th anniversary issue. I'm not sure that it would be a keeper for me. Still, it's a good story with enough complexity that I read it more slowly than many historical romances. The side characters are interesting and even the menace component works pretty well.

The people on the island are wonderful. I've read other books by her, but this is by far the best. It is one of my most favorite novels. I've read it at least five times and never get tired. My copy has been read by so many of my friends that I've had to tape the binding together.

The Tiger's Woman starts in late 1869 San Francisco as Mary Smith is on the run from her past. In disguise she takes work as a dance hall girl and attracts the attention of business man/entrepreneur Jason Drake (nicknamed the Tiger for his ruthless reputation with women, business and gambling), but she runs from him to Seattle, Washington Territory (what fun, my home town!) where Jason eventually finds her. Still terrified that the man from her past will find her she accepts Jason's offer of protection and goes to live with him on his island in the San Juan's, where Jason lives with his mother, son and quite a group of misfits who have also come to the island for reasons of their own. Jason was widowed when his wife died in childbirth and his son Jamie bears the scars of Jason's disinterest and has also grown up with the hatred bred into him by his grandmother. Mary's gentle but strong willed nature soon bridges the gap between father and son and the three strive to build a new life together. However, the abuse Mary suffered at the hands of the man from her past always threatens to sever the relationship, especially as Mary's fears become real and he begins to manipulate Jason's investments in an attempt to destroy him and return to take Mary away.

There's actually a whole lot more to it than that but to give away much more of Mary's past would blow the plot right out of the water and I'm not into spoilers. Suffice it to say that while not the fastest paced book, it was highly enjoyable and I very much enjoyed how both Jason and Mary were able to heal the wounds of their respective pasts and move forward into a new and stronger relationship. De Blasis also deals with the sensitive issue of a woman abused from an early age and how it affect's one's life and relationships with others (and not just men) and how she can heal and overcome that past for a healthier future.

I also very much enjoyed the visits to old San Francisco, Seattle, Washington Territory, a logging operation or two, and the San Juan Islands. The author clearly did some research and even this Seattle native didn't catch any Sleepless in Seattle like gaffes that distracted from the story. Lots of name dropping of our pioneer fathers - Asa Meeker, Pike, Boren and even one I never knew outside of a nightclub in Pioneer Square, Doc Maynard! If you're looking for a fast paced racy read, this probably isn't for you but if you want to sit back and enjoy a well crafted tale and don't mind a chapter or two (or three) of detailed descriptions of day to day life in the 1870's than this is worth checking out. Note, while I wouldn't quite call this a "bodice ripper" Mary and Jason did enjoy a healthy physical relationship and I wouldn't recommend it for a younger reader. 4/5 stars.

** spoiler alert ** Book length - 651 pages (I only read up to page 470 before putting it aside)


Before I started this book, I asked around in the forums to see if this book had any cheating, raping, or beatings. I wondered if this was one of those bodice rippers from the early 80s. No one could answer me, all anyone could actually recall was that, they liked it. Mmkay, and yet no one remembered what the plot was about or any details of this book what so ever. Well, if you would like some spoilers, read on.



The Tiger's Woman, would be more accurate to call this, The Tiger's Doormat, is about a grieving widowed playboy and a sexually abused heroine. He is 15 years older than the girl, who is only 18 when they meet. Unusually enough, the heroine didn't have any sexual hang-ups, but there were just too many irritating things about her, I was glad this was the case.

The hero grieves for his wife, his one and only true love most of the book, even calling out her name during the love scene with the heroine. Almost saying, "I love you, <dead wifes name>" in a ahem moment. When he starts having real feelings towards the heroine (of course, this is a romance novel after all), he becomes cruel, emotionally abusive, making snide remarks, smacking her hard enough to leave a bruise on her face....and of course cheating on the her.

Now what made this book a failure for me. First of all, I started this book really liking the girl. Sexually abused heroine (how could anyone not feel sympathetic), over coming all, etc, etc...so of course I was expecting to see a heroine with some strength of character. Thats not the case here. What you will see is your typical bodice ripper romance heroine without a backbone, getting walked on by the hero constantly.

Clearly, she has a good reason to be afraid, and understandably, she will have issues with how she views herself. However, do we honestly want to read about a girl who's constantly afraid of everything, and taking crap from everyone around her for 650+ pages? Do we want to see her love interest, emotionally abuse her when she's been through so much already? A hero who will smack her, cheat on her, feels relief when she leaves him and goes after her only when his son seemed tormented by her absence?

My deal-breaker was(although I kept reading hoping it will get better), when the hero came back from a whore house smelling like a whore, and the heroine jumped in the sack with him, knowing he's been with another woman only few hours before. She didn't say a word to him about the other woman... Heck, she was glowing because he came back and that's all that mattered. This girl did not need a love interest but a shrink.

This book consists mainly of heroine clinging to hero, taking all kinds of crap while hero fights his growing feelings for the doormat.

I would defiantly NOT consider this a good book. This book is excessively wordy, and it shows it's age. Good thing I will say though, unlike most romance novel's that's out these days, this book had a plot. I just wish, this book had a different hero and heroine.


Steam - steamy enough(even has a oral sex scene)
Cheating - yes
Hitting - yes
Rape - Hero never rapes her.

This is one of my all time favorite books. I have read it six or seven times. I love the characters of Jason and Mary. I also love all the misfits on the island. The way Mary grows and learns to handle everything makes the book very entertaining and interesting. She and Jason grow together through hardship and trial. I would recommend it to all lovers of a good story that is character driven.

Celeste DeBlasis is a superb author. Her combination of historical facts with her characters are a must read. It is too bad that she no longer publishes and her works are not in the bookstores. You won't be able to put any of her books down until you are finished. The dealer from whom I purchased this novel sent me the book immediately. I was shocked at the quick delivery.

My daughter stumbled across this book one day while out shopping. She is adament that 'The Tiger's Woman' is her favorite book in the world and she is well read. She says, and I quote, "It steals your heart. I couldn't put it down for a second. The characters are just so REAL and I just about believed that I was Mary. I can't believe that the book made me cry!"

This is a must read book in her opinion and I for one will not deny the fact that she is passionate over this book. Already she is trying to get her hands on a better quality copy of the book than the one she currently has.

all i can say is that i loved this book

If this is the book I'm thinking about, it is THE S**T!!!!!!!!!! It's when this girl, i think her dad dies, or maybe that was later in the book... anyway, she goes to this "friend" of her father's... that she had met once when she was about 6-8.. something like that.. she had thought he was super HOTT!!! anyway, she goes to get him to protect her, she doesn't have anyone else to turn to... anyway, she agrees to be his mistress and everything.. i think it was the guy that set that as the terms.. something about using her to get back at her dad.. anyway she agrees and so he takes her back to his island where he lives with his son.. he's a widower... and the weird part of the book is they're in the barn and the son is spying on them... or he was already in ther or something like that, and he ends up seeing them having sex... the dad doesn't know.. the girl just happens to see the little boy ya after the deed is done.. so anyway, after a while she stops hating him after a while and they end up falling in love.. and the crazy part is that later.. after a couple of years later i mean... she runs away without telling anybody she was going!!!!!! well, i won't spoil what happens but needless to say the book was a total MUST READ for me!!!!!! I LOVE THIS BOOOK!!!!! IT ROCKS.... HARD!!!!!!!!