Customer Reviews

Unconquered

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

After reading the other reviews, I have to say that I really liked the book, except for one particular scene. When Miranda is forced into her extramarital relationships after going to Russia it is understandable. It is also reasonable that Jared becomes a rake after he believes Miranda is dead. However, the scene where Jared has sex with Gillian after he and Miranda are (happily) married is unnecessary. Yes, he feels terrible, and yes, she forgives him without question, but it was still disgusting. He could have said no or gotten the information without knowingly cheating on his wife. Ms. Small often has the characters engage in extramarital relations, but usually it is due to dire circumstances. I just really didn't like this scene. I'm surprised no one else has mentioned it.

But other than that (which happened fairly early on), I enjoyed the rest of the book, even if it did move sort of too quickly...

P.S. - My favorite Small book is "A Love for All Time." It starts in the middle of the O'Malley Saga, but since it is easy to read first.

I started to read the works of Bertrice Small back in the late seventies when she started to be published. When she started to write, the genre of historical romance had a love story that was written around historical events, generously served up with plenty of details, and tended to make the characters the center of the story, rather than the time and place. Sex, if and when it appeared, was more of the 'fade to next morning' variety rather than anything graphic.

Then came the seventies, and suddenly, historical romances got racy. Sex moved from the edges, and went far beyond what was to be found in most novels, unless they were of the sort found in certain adult bookstores. And Bertrice Small leapt into the genre with both feet and changed the standard.

Starting in the year 1811, this tells the story of Miranda and Jared Dunham, two very strong-willed lovers who meet through an arranged marriage, but manage to make a go of it. Miranda, barely above a child herself is resentful at having to marry before her twin, Amanda, can announce her own betrothal to an English lord. Miranda, naturally, doesn't want to marry anyone, deciding at the tender age of seventeen that she would much rather stay in her American home.

But when she returns to her home, the island of Wyndsong near Long Island, tragedy hits when her beloved father is killed in an accidental shooting. Worst still, it appears that she's going to marry the man who was partially responsible for the shooting -- his way 'of making things right' as it were.

Jared Dunham, Miranda's cousin and the new owner of Wyndsong Island, is one of those tall, dark, brooding heroes so common in romance novels. He's the younger son of a Massachusetts?s shipbuilder, and has always had to cope with his father's preference for his elder brother Jonathan. The anger at that has left him estranged and alone to make his way in the world, which has resulted in his sailing the open seas as a merchant trader. And sometimes, he takes on a bit of spying work for the English -- a chancy situation in a world where Napoleon is waging war in Europe, and tensions are rising between England and the new United States.

In Miranda, he finds a virginal spitfire, but soon the pair discover that they can dispel some of that heat in bed, and soon they're billing and cooing like a pair of doves, with Miranda pregnant. But Jared then makes the fatal mistake of going off on a mission to England, leaving poor Miranda cooling her heels in America. And now that it looks like her sister's suitor is about to jilt Amanda, there's only one thing to do about it -- load up her sister on a ship with herself and her mother and go off to England while war is about to break out.

There's plenty of misunderstandings, lover's quarrels, and the reader pretty much has to guess in this story if these two will ever get their heads on straight and kiss and make up.

Unconquered was Small's fourth novel, and it's pretty evident that she's still working out the kinks in her writing style. A great deal of the narrative is made up of a lot of descriptive writing, mostly about clothing and food. In between all of the dyed swan?s-down, fabulous jewels, and mouthwatering meals, Small has her characters fighting and making up -- usually with sex.

And what sex it can be. Of course, as with novels of this type, it's instant orgasms and sex without complications. While it may seem to be tame reading now, at the time it was considered to be pretty racy, and just on this side of scandal. Too, Small does something that few writers would dare to do now, and to be honest, I found it to be rather disturbing.

Adultery on both sides of the marriage is pretty common here. While on Jared's part it is either as a means of getting information, or as a way that he's grieving Miranda's supposed death, it wasn't that convincing to turn him into a skirt chasing rake within months of his wife's disappearance. If he's having such a deep love for her, then what's made him snap so?

As for Miranda, all of the extramarital sex is while she's in the throes of delirium (with her brother-in-law, no less!) or in a situation where she is a captive or victim of some sort. Small is infamous for these sorts of situations in her books -- nearly every one of them has a harem sequence with either multiple partners, kinky sex or both, and where it could easily be called rape if it was happening anywhere else. Early in Small's career it could be called spicy, now it's turned into a cliché thirty years on.

Too, besides the florid, purple prose, there are quite a few anachronisms here and there, and Small gets rather heavy with the name-dropping of various bits of historical trivia. But the most blatant error is that she will break off the action, and suddenly start explaining everything to the reader, whether it is a historical occurrence, or describing how her characters get from one place to another, sometimes telescoping months into a few paragraphs. It's a rather jarring experience.

If you can handle the problems in the writing style and subject matter -- part of the novel takes place in a Russian breeding farm for would be slaves for the Ottomans -- it does make for entertaining reading, and a snort or two of disbelief. Small continues to write novels of this sort, each one a bit more racy than the last one and has carved out a semi-permanent niche for herself, and while they tend to be on the lightweight side, they can be fun on a rainy or dull afternoon.

I would say a four star read, as her earlier novels are still her better ones, and this one at least moves out of her rut of using Tudor and Elizabethan England as a setting.

Many romance novels revolve around an arranged marriage, love discovered after the wedding and eventually, living happily ever after. That's just the first 100 pages of this book. This book looks at the first four years of Miranda and Jared's marriage and they go go through some wild "adventures" in the path to true love.

It says something that this book is still in print after almost 20 years. It also was chosen as one of Romantic Times Top 200 Books of the 20th Century. The pacing is fast, the locations exotic and Miranda is a fun, spunky heroine. While the setting is largely the Regency period, this is no conventional Regency romance.

Unconquered is a fantasy, but it's a fun romp. Some of the undertones are a bit dated but surely were just the thing in 1981. I gobbled it down in a single sitting. Enjoy

I was shocked by the other reviews. I love this book and consider it one of the best. Miranda is cool and determined, but not cold. She is merely frustrated by the long separation from her husband. The murder scene of Gillian was to show the evil capabilities of the Prince, who would do anything for his own personal gain and pleasure. Only a woman of Miranda's determination and the love of her husband could defeat this man. Although Miranda seemed to want to blame their separation solely on Jared, it was obvious that they were both to blame. Both were headstrong and independent. I think at the end they learned to depend upon one another. I rank Miranda right up there with Skye, Zenobia, and Cyra. Cool, collected, determined, and strong.

The popularity of Smith's books give lie to the claim that woman no longer find physical and mental abuse a turn on. In this book she reaches an all time low. It contains a very graphically described sex scene in which a woman has a climax while she is being murdered. Who need's woman haters when you have Small?

This was the very first Bertrice Small novel I'd read. I'm a big fan of hers and have read most of her books (I'm addicted to the O'Malley saga!). UNCONQUERED features an indomitable, intelligent heroine; exciting, fast-paced story that never lags; exotic locales; and very steamy love scenes. The only drawback is Jared Dunham. I know Miranda was forced into marriage to him, but come on! There was never a more arrogant, boorish Bertrice Small leading man. If I were Miranda, I would have gladly become part of Mirza Khan's harem and said adieu to Jared. Jared lost even more points when he accused Miranda of having brought upon herself all the terrible things that had happened to her in Russia, when in reality those things would never have happened if he hadn't gone there in the first place and forced her to come after him.

I have read 3 books by this woman and they are all EXACTLY THE SAME. Ms. Small seems to have a fascination with rape and adultery. I however do not. I have learned my lesson. No, I'm not a prude but I will never again waste my money or library card on anything this sick, sad and mentally deficient woman.

I sincerely doubt that Bertrice Small knows anything about love. I have read a few of her books and can tell that her books a pretty much all the same. They we revovle around a man and woman knowing nothing about eachother, but who get married and have passionate love. The woman then usually is kidnapped and forced to have sex with another man, she says she hates it, but she always ends up enjoying it. She is then reunited with her husband and all is forgiven in the end. Although the husband is usually angry, but he still forgives his wife, even though the women in Small's books are usually the most childish, big-mouthy, witchy women that just make you want to jump into the books so you can kill them yourself.

I am not saying I get into the sappy love stories either though, where the woman is so meek and lets the men just walk all over her. But, I deffinitely want the leads to actually be in love and not just in lust. And if I could give this book and all of her books no stars at all I would. You should deffinitely never read anything by Bertrice Small. Instead go out and find yourself a good Hannah Howell, now that woman knows how to write a good romance.

For those of you considering reading Bertrice Small for the first time- be forewarned her books are definately not the typical romance novels. Her novels are definately hotter and unlike many historical romance writers- there is usually more than one partner in the woman's life which I think is more representative of real life than man meets woman and thats it forever and ever.

Her stories are quick paced and adventorous and the love scenes are good, and not as corny as some tend to be.

I love a lot of the classic romance writers, but I am completely hooked on Bertrice- and it all started with buying Rosamund on a whim! Since then Ive read the entire Skye Omalley series and I am picking my way through each of the others.

Bertrice Small leaves 16th century England and Scotland for early 19th century America. I love it! This change of scenery was fantastic! Miranda was a terrific character and went thru hell and high water for the love of Jared. One of my all time favorites!