Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of My Absolute Favorites!!!, November 3, 2004
This book is a *must read* for anyone who loves historical romance. The "innocent kidnapped by pirates" theme has been done to death, but never so delightfully as in "Windflower".
Merry Patricia Wilding, an 18 year old American, is accidently kidnapped by a band of pirates led by ruthless Captain Rand Morgan and his second-in-command (and half-brother), the drop-dead gorgeous Devon Crandall. The majority of the book takes place aboard the pirate ship, the "Black Joke", as Merry gradually and believably matures from a innocent, helpless girl to a more capable, confident young woman.
The secondary characters in this book are some of the best in the genre--I read this book at least six months ago and I *still* think about Rand, Raven and (especially) Cat, while I can barely recall the names of the *main* characters of many of the other books that I have read since then. I really liked the character of Merry as well, although I am not usually fond of beautiful but somewhat dimwitted ingenue heroines. The book was written in the 1980's when romantic heroines tended to be much less capable gals than the current crop of ladies, but Merry's character (sweet, unaffected and plucky) is so well-drawn that I could not help liking her and I could see why the pirate crew ended up being her champions. Devon was a worthy love interest, although a bit harsh to our sweet heroine some of the time (but hey, he was a pirate!)
The dialogue in this book is *inspired*, the plot action-packed and the sexual tension delicious but not overdone. It is a long book but I read it twice in a row when I first got it--it's *that* good!
Very, Very Highly Recommended!!
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You might try giving it a lump of sugar..., January 3, 2003
This book is listed as one of the 100 best romance novels, and rightly so. When Merry Wilding is accidently abducted by pirates, she faces challenges that make her a engaging heroine worthy of the hero's love.
If you enjoy Woodwiss's " Shanna" , or Susan Wiggs " The Charm School" this is not to be missed.
Although the plot has been done( woman ends up on pirate ship, matures, falls in love) what makes it unique is first of all, its lyricism. The description and dialogue are poetic, poignant, and vivd. Not to mention there are some really funny moments( "You might try giving it a lump of sugar".) It also has an incredible cast of supporting characters, who you may become so attached to, you might like them more than the protagonists. The characterization is nothing short of beautiful, the characters actually develop over the course of the novel, and I thought it was great that the heroine is given time to develop away from the hero.
This is a must read for any romance reader, and the only problems I see with it are it's hard to get a hold of and it ends. I wish the Curtis' work was still in print.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is one of the best historical romance novels written., June 3, 1999
By A Customer
I first read this novel 10 or so years ago and was blown away by it. It replaced The Flame and The Flower as my all time favorite historical romance. I stopped reading new romance novels about 5 years ago because they cost too much and were boring, but I keep copies of all my old favorites and when I need a pick me up, I pick them up! I'm on my third copy of F&F and second copy of The Windflower. First, the great descriptions of sailing and the pirate atmosphere suck you into the story. The psychological description of Merry's agony, Cat's history and the Duke's double identity are really well done and entertaining. All the side plots are meaningful and relate to the main story. Most amazingly, no explicit sex scenes and the sexual tension throughout the book is very high. I would recommend this book to everyone who loves romance novels, especially historical romance novels. In fact, I think I'll start it again tonight. Note: If you can't find this on the shelf, try used book stores, that's where I got my last copy. Enjoy
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