Hellion

by Bertrice Small

SHE WAS CALLED BELLE FROM HELL. . . .
As fierce and indomitable as any man, Isabelle of Langston rules the family lands with an iron hand after her father's death. But the brazen beauty meets her match in Hugh Fauconier, bold knight and rightful Saxon heir to Langston Keep. By the King's hand, he is made her husband. Hugh's virile prowess reveals to Belle the delicious pleasures of the flesh, as their turbulent days of verbal sparring melt into nights of erotic abandon.
But a treacherous plot enslaves Hugh to the evil Vivienne d'Bretagne, a sorceress whose sexual magic is as powerful as it is dark. Discovering the castle lair where her husband is enchanted, Belle is caught, and rendered helpless by the twisted passion of Vivienne's brother, Guy. But not even her captor's devious ecstasy can destroy her will to free her beloved Hugh. . . .

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Medieval, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Erotica

437 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Bertrice Williams was born on December 9, 1937 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA, the daughter of Doris S. and David R. Williams, both broadcasters. She studied at Attended Western College for Women and Katharine Gibbs Secretarial School. On October 5, 1963, she married George Sumner Small, a photographer and designer with a History Major at Princeton. They had a son Thomas David. She lived on eastern Long Island for over 30 years. Her greatest passions were her family; Finnegan and Sylvester, the family cats; Nicki, the elderly cockatiel who whistles the NY Mets charge call; her garden; her work, and just life in general.

Published since 1947, Bertrice Small was the author of over 50 romance novels. A New York Times bestselling author, she had also appeared on other best-seller lists including Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and the L.A. Times. She was the recipient of numerous awards including Career Achievement for Historical Romance; Best Historical Romance; Outstanding Historical Romance Series; Career Achievement for Historical Fantasy; a Golden Leaf from the New Jersey Romance Writers chapter of Romance Writers of America; an Author of the Year (2006) and Big Apple Award from the New York City Romance Writers chapter of RWA, and several Reviewers Choice awards from Romantic Times. She had a "Silver Pen" from Affair De Coeur, and an Honorable Mention from The West Coast Review of Books. In 2004 she was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by ROMANTIC TIMES magazine for her contributions to the Historical Romance genre. And in 2008 she was named by ROMANTIC TIMES along with her friends Jennifer Blake, Roberta Gellis and Janelle Taylor, a Pioneer of Romance.

Bertrice Small was a member of The Authors Guild, Romance Writers of America, PAN, and PASIC. She was also a member of RWA's Long Island chapter, L.I.R.W., and is its easternmost member on the North Fork of Eastern Long Island.

Reviews

[❁ lilyreadsromance ❁ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Bertrice Small book under my belt! What a treat. Her books are never boring.

However, that blurb. The event in that blurb didn't even happened until after the 50% of the book. So, imagine me thinking 'am I reading the right book?' all throughout the first half.

Then, events transpired and how crazy it was. The first half was not that interesting but the second half, wow. It was scorching. I just love the crazy plot.

This is one of those cases where I actually stayed for the plot (and wondering how the fuck they gonna get themselves out) than the characters themselves. Because characters are not the star of BS books. No. It's the ridiculous plot.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, Bertrice Small. Your characters are so laughable and this is as much a historical as "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure." And yet...this book is so fun to read. Skanky sorcery? Check. Incestuous evildoers? Check. Check. Complete emotional 180s every few pages? CHECK. I hate this book...but I kind of love it, too. Don't judge.

[Naksed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun, campy, medieval romance, that is so full of purple prose, it could never be rivaled by any other book in this genre :)

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished Beatrice Small's novel Hellion, which as previously reported is an odd romance novel.
It sort of challenges the conventions of the romance novel and comments on them.

I can't decide if Small is a frustrated historian, possibly? Because the book at times reads like an amateur attempt at historical fiction. She dabbles at it. Not always well, but better than most romance novelists. The story takes place in the 1100s, during the reign of Henry I, the son of William the Congueror and grandfather of Henry the II (the King from Beckett and Lion in Winter). So pre-Tudor. These are the Anglo-Saxons and Normans.


Anyhow, the hero is the son of Merlin-son, who specialized in birds. Or training of birds. He's a Falconier, so his last name is Faucounier, or Sir Hugh Faucounier. He's commissioned by his King and best friend to retake his family's lands in Langston, and marry the woman who currently holds them. Her father left them to her upon his death. (Why the father didn't leave it to his sons, is never really explained.) Isabelle De Mannievelle aka Belle from Hell, is a bit of a handful. She rules the place, and takes on a male role. Knows the lands, the stock, the amounts, all in her head. But can't read or write.

He brings his best friend, Sir Rolf Briande, Father Bernard, and a couple of men to do his King's bidding. Within about 50 pages, he marries her, and about twenty more, his best friends woos and weds her mother, whose only 30. Isabelle is 16. They married young back then. Her mother married at 14. He also spanks her -- when she disobeys, but not that hard or that often. It only happens once or twice that I know of. She's not so much a hellion as a bit of a bratty teen, which hello, sixteen, and never been away from home and had to run the place.

Things go well for a bit, until the King, as King's will do, sends for her husband to defend him in a conflict with the King's brother, the Duke of Normandy. During this time, her half-brother, Richard De Mannievell, attempts to reclaim her lands and marry her off to his henchman, Sir Luc De Sai. She runs him off the land and gets her mother married off to Hugh's best bud Rolf. Hugh returns, they have a kid, he teaches her how to train birds to hunt, and all is well.

Time passes, the King asks for Hugh to go to Normandy and deliver a bird to his brother, also hang out in court for a bit to report what's going on. Then, he disappears. And just doesn't come back.
Understandably worried, Isabelle journeys to the King to find out what happened. The King, who is rather oblivious, decides this is a great opportunity to seduce his friend's wife and bed her. She's a pretty thing, he's the King, why the heck not. Isabelle, however, is not interested, and finds various clever ways of fending him off. First she makes herself sick. Then she hides in the Queen's chambers. Finally, she finds the man the King sent off to check on her husband and gets just enough information to decide to go off and find Hugh on her own, accompanied by one of Hugh's Falconiers.
She dresses up as the boy's brother, crosses over to France, and hunts for her hubby at her half-brother's house, where she suspects he's been taken captive. But alas she's a bit late, he was taken captive -- but some time ago, the sorceress Vivienne de'Bretagne took custody of him. Vivi and her brother Guy, are apparently sorcerers and the children of Merlin and Vivienne. OR the last remaining kids of that line. But their socerery such as it is -- seems to be limited to sexual seduction, and herbs and potions.

Hugh has no memory (after being knocked upside the head twice), and is the willing love slave of Vivienne. Isabelle and her falconier infilterate Vivienne's castle and attempt to find a way to spring Hugh, instead Isabelle is well, seduced by Guy, who takes her as his lover once he discovers she's female. He basically baths her, threatens to spank her if she doesn't obey, and ties her up, and gives her multiple orgasms. It's rather raunchy after 300-400 pages of relatively no sex. The raunchy sex doesn't pop up until the 68% mark or thereabouts. And then, hello, BDSM, sex toys, and three-somes.

And -- it's an effective means of getting across a point -- which is "Sex", "Good sex", doesn't necessarily equal love. Well both Hugh and Belle enjoy the sex with Guy and Viv, neither love them, nor do they fell truly loved in return, more playthings. Although Guy does appear to care for Belle on some level, he doesn't care enough to let her free or have her own space. She's essentially there for his sexual pleasure. Both, Guy and Viv, are narcissists, and sex furthers their own pleasure.
It's never about the other person's pleasure or comfort, but mainly their own. Sex also, for both Guy and Viv is an expression of power. Their power over others. And it's mixed up with violence. They can't quite separate the two.

Small does a decent job of depicting this, along with how powerless women were back then. Viv who technically owns the castle and the line passes through her -- has no power. Her brother and then her husband rule over her. Hugh, her sex slave, actually has more power for just being male. Isabelle is equally powerless. Even if she were to leave without Hugh, she'd just be at the mercy of whichever male the King chose for her next.

At one point, Belle is forced to have sex with Hugh and Guy. Although forced isn't quite the same word, compelled might be a better one. She's not really given much choice in the matter. And while Hugh is in a similar boat, he seems to have more of one. It's a breeding ritual -- neither Guy nor Isabelle can bear children, so Hugh and Isabelle are mated to have kids for them. Rather repulsive actually, if you think about it, but ...realistic, after all it's what Arbraham and Sarah did with Hagar and it's what Atwood talks about in the Handmaid's Tale. Isabelle -- the writer shows has very little power here. If she'd refused, she'd have been beaten or killed. If she fought? Beaten.

It's during this sex scene that Hugh regains his memory and then he's upset with Isabelle for giving in to Guy and being his lover. As if she had a choice in the matter. He also has troubles forgiving her for enjoying it. When they confront each other, and she tells him that he was enjoying Viv and sleeping with Viv long before that and after he regained his memory, he shrugs it off as well, "I'm a man, it's okay for men to do these things. Women, good women are to remain chaste." Even apparently when the man in question has given them no choice? ie. either be raped or be a whore? Or be raped and become a whore? Women exist for male pleasure or are their property, and are the "weaker" sex, due to physical prowess.

When he suggests to name their second child after the King -- Isabelle refuses because, hello, the King tried to rape her or seduce her. Hugh shrugs it off -- as it being a King's right. And she was supposed to well comply.

Hugh was a man of his time. But Isabelle questions it. He sees her as property. He may love her.
But he's the big strong guy, and since he can overpower her, and has, she's his. What a horrible way of thinking. But men and women have been thinking this way for millions of years. That's the point, Beatrice Small makes. Her heroine is no shrinking violet, she fights, and is resourceful throughout, but she can't escape the prejudices and constraints of her own time.

Small, however, questions who is the stronger and more moral character here...or the most heroic. Isabelle or Hugh. Hugh is rather cruel in the book when he loses his memory. He is given power and abuses it. Isabelle for her part, merely enjoys the attentions of another lover, having relatively little options afforded to her. But she never acts in cruelty and never hurts anyone willingly. And when she obtains power, however briefly, works hard not to take advantage of it.

While the book ends happily for the most part, they are together, the bad guys are vanquished, and alls well that ends well -- Hugh never really changes his views, just his attitude. The conventional ending...is sort of circuited as a result. Leaving us with a sense of how horribly women were treated back then...as livestock or favored pets and how men, who had physical power, abused it to their own and other detriments, in order to further their own self-interest.

The romance genre doesn't necessarily smile on the male gender, which may be why it is rarely read by them? (shrugs) Among other reasons of course. ;-)

Many of the reviews I've read of this book complained of purple prose, but it's not more or less purple than Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Sage, Jojo Moyes, Liane Moriarity, EL James, Danielle Steele, or the latest Nora Roberts. The writing is rather boilerplate but so are the others. Precision of language isn't necessarily a popular or best selling writer's fort. Just saying. But even this is so much in the eye of the beholder or individual reader. Like it or not each reader brings their own baggage to the proceedings. Making it rather difficult to know whether to recommend a novel or not, or even whether I will like one that has been reviewed. People will often vaguely say it's eloquently written or there's purple prose, or fill in the blank, then I read it, and wonder what they've been smoking or drinking?

[Севдалина · Rating 1 out of 5]

Най-ужасната най-гадната най-отвратителната книга, когато някога съм чела. Не искам дори с пръчка да я докосна вече. Преразказ в спойлера, четете на своя отговорност.

Главната е на 15 години, а главния на 30 когато се женят. Тя забременява, а той заминава на война, защото е рицар. Майка й, която е на 30 се жени за най-добрия приятел на главния. И двете раждат момчета. Минава година. Главната сама, вече се чуди къде е нашия и отива при краля да иска да го намерят . Да ама Краля взе, че хареса героинята ни. От всякъде започнаха да я бутат да му стане любовница, дори приятеля на главния който сега й се пада втори баща, я караше да го направи, защото не може да отказва на краля. И все пак, тя успя да се измъкне, казах си браво момиче, обачеее... Заряза сина и си, преоблече се като мъж и хукна да търсимъжа си.

След много време, най-после го намери, но след една битка, сега той си е изгубил паметта и живее в замъка на брат и сестра магьосници, като любовник на сестрата.

Още от най-древни времена за да запазят магическите си сили, в семейството на магьосниците децата се раждат плод на кръвосмешение. Но след като един от наследниците изнасилва момиче от съседен замък, мъжете са застигнати от проклятие, никога да нямат деца. Същото сполетява и жените, и сега брата и сестрата не могат да имат единственото което желаят най-силно, дете, което да наследи уменията им.

Когато брата разбира, че главната героиня е жена представяща се за мъж, той веднага лапва по нея и дори решава, че е влюбен в нея. Тогава със сестрата измислят гениалния план да съберат главната и главния, те да си направят дете, а после да им го вземат. А никой освен главната не знае, че са съпрузи. Но преди това брата взима главната, за да я обучава. Разбира се, тя се "жертва" заради съпруга си и правеше какви ли не извратени и гнусни неща с брата, и постоянно го сравняваше с гланвия. Че брата бил с по-голям....., че бил по-силен, по-издръжлив, че я клател с часове, и направо ужассссс. По едно време дори си въобразяваше, че се влюбва в брата и си мислеше, че ако мъжа й не си върне паметта, няма нищо против да остане с магьосника за цял живот. Естествено хич не се и сещаше, че вече цяла година не е виждала бебето си. После като най-накрая я обучи, братя една вечер замъкна главния при нея, почнаха да се наливат с една напитка усилваща потентността и цяла нощ брата и главния се редуваха да спят с главната, като най-големия ми ужас беше когато по едно време и двамата я "яхнаха" едновременно. На всичкото отгоре, точно преди броени минути, главния си беше върнал паметта и знаеше, че сега споделя жена си с друг, но реши да не се издава, за да не пострадат. След тези изпълнения главната забременя. Сестрата я омъжиха за един друг мъж, но в първата брачна нощ, брата дойде и каза на младоженеца, че той е бил първия мъж на сестра си, сборичкаха се и се избиха. Сестрата не можа да понесе, че са мъртви и си направи харакири. Главния и главната бяха свободни и си се прибраха в къщи. Но той все й опяваше, че й харесвало с магьосника, но че и той спеше със сестрата не се виждаше. И хавана че я заряза и пак замина на война. Главната роди момиче, а главния беше на бойното поле. В една битка му извадиха окото и краля го отзова. Той си се прибра и заживяха щастливо... Таааа мразя я, мразя я тази книга.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow - a three way and even DP!!! I'm sure going to miss you, Bertrice!

[Emily Garmon · Rating 2 out of 5]

2🌟
I'm slowly working my way through the bodice rippers I've accumulated thrifting. This was one I've had for a year and decided to get into, and boyyyy was I in for a delusional treat.

This novel starts in medieval England with a teenager, Isabelle of Langston, who has single handedly kept her inheritance, Langston Keep, from ruin after her father's death. However, when the King decides that of course, this woman can't and doesn't have the capacity to, run her own estate, he decides it's time his most loyal knight, Huge Fauconier, marry Isabelle and secure Langston for the king. Sir Huge comes from a long line of falconers, and as such, he wants to raise prized birds for his own and for the King. When he arrives at Langston, he is astounded that the 16 year old Isabelle has managed to keep the estate running so well, despite being unable to read, that there has been no famine or loss of crops. However, he is (predictably) not happy about the fact that his bride to be doesn't take shit, least of all from her supposed future husband. The first half of the novel plays out like this: a historical "romance" with some interesting notes of historical happenings and how people lived in medieval England (I'm assuming it's slightly accurate and that Small did some research into the time period). Huge calls his wife a little hellion (she's a teenager, but age was nearly superfluous at this time in history), and Isabelle is nearly always exhausted by her big dumb husband. So, I'm reading along, noting how Small is making the characters connect through Huge's love of falconery, thinking, ok, this isn't SO bad, I've read worse. Until, Huge gets called away to deliver a prized bird to King Henry's brother and enemy Duke Robert, and then he isn't heard from again. So, Isabelle leaves her young son with her mother (who, to my mortified realization, is in her 30s) and sets off to find her husband. It isn't until she crosses The Channel, finds where Huge was captured that we discover he's being held by a sorceress, Vivienne d'Bretagne, and her brother Guy. So, we've jumped from historical fiction to complete fantasy, cool. Oh, also, Vivienne and her bro practice "sex magic," which has kept Huge entranced (but also he had a serious head injury which made him lose his memory lmao). Btw, this sexy magic is just them having knowledge of medicinal herbs that's equal to taking Viagra. So Isabelle must go along with Guy's interest in her to become his mistress and hopefully save her husband. Wild premise.

Some thoughts:
The sex in this novel was almost unreadable. I suppose women of 1996(!!!) were titillated by a little threesome and sideways incest? I don't know, but not me. I want to tell you some of the awful sex terms I read in this novel that I've never read before: "her little pearl" "her pleasure pearl" "his weapon" "his love juices." 🤢🤢🤢 No to all of this. Also, I was tremendously upset by the abrupt change from historical fiction with real historical figures to straight up fantasy. It made the story disorienting.

I hated this.

[Marife · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hellion is a dark, twisted, unique, clever, medieval historical romance which can be fully appreciated if the reader is familiar with two ancient Greek myths: The Odyssey and Orpheus and Eurydice. The story is chock-full of allusions that I wrote a longer analysis below.

I cannot recommend this book enough for readers who love Greek mythology and are open to more unusual types of historical romance. It defies today’s norms: excessive historical detail, lengthy separation between the leads, sex outside the relationship, and sexual taboos. But for all this book’s weirdness, it has a mature and nuanced take on the nature of sacrifice, reconciliation, and second chances. Though the HEA is well-earned, and Hugh’s short-sightedness was punished in the end, it also feels bittersweet because the couple went through so much hell and saw the most disturbing versions of each other.

Danielle Cohen's narration in the audiobook is 5/5. She brings to life Isabelle's written voice really well.

Tropes: marriage of convenience, other man/woman
Content warnings: Hoo boy! Where do I start? I did mention this was dark: rape, torture, sex slavery, bondage, incest, domestic violence
Steam level: 5/5 (Explicit, kinky, plentiful, and Ms. Small’s writing sells all of it)

Availability: Print, ebook, audio
Edition reviewed: Audio and ebook

*****************************************

HELLION by Bertrice Small: A Medieval Romance Inspired by “The Odyssey” and “Orpheus and Eurydice”

BACKGROUND
I will assume that readers are already familiar with The Odyssey and the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. I will save on word count by not recapping them. Summaries are linked below:
The Odyssey: https://medium.com/@gurtrobinson/summ...
Orpheus and Eurydice: https://www.thecollector.com/orpheus-...

PLOT AND KEY CHARACTERS
The plot is a combination of the two ancient Greek myths, and follows an aboveworld>underworld>aboveworld structure. Aboveworld being England and underworld being La Citadelle. In the first half of the book, Hugh Fauconier and Isabelle of Langston are married by order of the king and fall in love. Isabelle’s mother, who suffered abuse from Isabelle’s late father, gets a second chance in love with Rolf de Briard, Hugh’s best friend. They have children. Langston prospers. Everything is rosy until Hugh, our Odysseus, is sent by the king of England to Normandy for a diplomatic errand. On the way back, he is trapped by the sorceress Vivienne d’Bretagne (a stand-in for Calypso). At Langston, Isabelle becomes increasingly worried about his lengthy absence, but unlike The Odyssey’s Penelope, who was stuck at home, weaving endlessly and fending off aggressive suitors, she takes the initiative by leaving Langston and searches for her husband herself. She tries to seek the king’s help but he only tries to keep her at court and attempts to rape her.

Then the story shifts. Isabelle becomes an Orpheus who must get her Eurydice out of the underworld. At exactly the 50% mark, she escapes from the king’s court and crosses the English Channel to find her husband, as if crossing the river Styx to the underworld. The other side is dark, mysterious, and weird. Isabelle discovers that Hugh has been ensorcelled at La Citadelle, where Vivienne and her brother Guy live. She reaches it and finds torture, kinky sex, incest, and horny magic. She finally sees Hugh, but he has amnesia, his cold personality is unrecognizable, and he has become Vivienne's lover. To survive and save him and their men, she becomes a sex slave for Guy. Guy and Vivienne, both infertile, use Hugh and Isabelle to conceive a child that will continue their line. But having sex with Isabelle jogs back Hugh’s memory.

Hugh hides the return of his memory from Vivienne. There seems to be no way out of La Citadelle until a Breton lord demands Vivienne’s fealty and forces her into an arranged marriage. After a series of dramatic events for Guy and Vivienne, Hugh, Isabelle, and their men finally get a chance to leave. They cross the English Channel again (exit from the underworld) and return to their home of Langston. They get rid of Isabelle’s half-brother Richard, who has taken over their keep. After some difficulty, Hugh and Isabelle put the past behind them and reconcile.

HISTORICAL SETTING
The power struggle between King Henry I of England and his brother Robert, Duke of Normandy, in 1100 is the historical backdrop of the story. The political tension between England and Normandy serves as an anchor for the movements of the characters.

I loved the historical details in the story even though they can be excessive, not just because they are well-researched but because the specificity lends to an immersive setting. Many details also become important later in the story. For example, when Hugh is sent to Normandy, the political imperatives for doing so have already been established in the beginning. All those details about training falcons establish Isabelle as a believable falconer later on.

THEMES AND MOTIFS
The main themes of Hellion strongly echo those of The Odyssey’s.

1. Returning home
In the same way Odysseus is on a long, challenging journey home, so too are Hugh and Isabelle
Motifs such as Hugh returning to his ancestral home of Langston in the beginning of the story and Isabelle returning to her ancestral home of Manneville in search of her husband, reinforce the homecoming theme

2. Hospitality
Per the entry for The Odyssey on Wikipedia:
“According to J. B. Hainsworth, guest-friendship follows a very specific pattern:[57]
The arrival and the reception of the guest.
Bathing or providing fresh clothes to the guest.
Providing food and drink to the guest.
Questions may be asked of the guest and entertainment should be provided by the host.
The guest should be given a place to sleep, and both the guest and host retire for the night.
The guest and host exchange gifts, the guest is granted a safe journey home, and the guest departs.
Another important factor of guest-friendship is not keeping the guest longer than they wish and also promising their safety while they are a guest within the host's home.”

In The Odyssey, the reception of Odysseus into others’ homes, and eventually into his own home, are key plot drivers. Hellion works in a similar fashion:

-The story kicks off when Hugh, with Rolf de Briard, arrive in Langston to bring news of Isabelle’s father’s death, the king’s mandate of marriage, and his takeover of the estate
Isabelle’s arrival and reception at the King’s court is her first adventure during the search for her husband
-A visit to Manneville (in disguise) to her half-brother informs her where her husband is
-She finally finds Hugh in La Citadelle when she successfully gains a welcome entry into the fortress

The motif of bathing as a service provided by the host is repeated throughout: Isabelle and Alette giving Hugh and Rolf baths at Langston; Isabelle’s struggle to find opportunities to bathe in the King’s Court and on the road; and her jaw-dropping bathing scene at La Citadelle with Guy d’Bretagne.

Aspects of character are revealed by how one acts as a host, as referred to in the patterns of guest-friendship mentioned above. See: Alette as the host of Langston; the king and the queen as hosts in Winchester; Duke Robert and Richard de Manneville as hosts in Normandy; Vivienne and Guy as hosts of La Citadelle; the way Isabelle received Hugh before vs after their marriage vs the way she received her half-brother

3. Concealment
Just as in the Odyssey, disguises play a huge role in Isabelle’s success with her mission.
-In her travels, she was disguised as a boy-falconer
-When her true gender is revealed at La Citadelle, she and her men cook up a story that she is an illegitimate daughter of a nobleman who was cast out by her family
-She pretends she loves Guy d’Bretagne and Hugh has to pretend that he still has amnesia after he recovered his memory so that he and Isabelle can survive and escape La Citadelle

4. Omens
I couldn’t remember this detail, but bird omens were apparently a thing in The Odyssey. In Hellion, the disappearance of Hugh Fauconier coincides with bad harvests throughout the country. Ancient Albert in Langston laments, “There will be no luck in Langston until the lord is safely home…Langston must have its lord. Its luck is in its lord.” Hugh is not simply a lord of the estate, but an esteemed falconer - a master of birds.

ADDITIONAL THEMES:
This story is first and foremost a romance. Its romantic themes include:

5. Love vs Lust
The depiction of love as different from lust is repeated throughout the story:
-Early in their marriage, Isabelle wonders if she loves Hugh, despite the fact that she enjoys sex with him very much
-In La Citadelle, she learns to enjoy her sexual subjugation to Guy, but deep in her heart, she loves Hugh
-Alette is terrified of sex because of her first marriage, but learns to enjoy it with Rolf, because he treats her with love and tenderness
-Guy desires Isabelle in a sexual way, but grows to love her later on; Vivienne has had a lot of lovers and thought she cared for Hugh, but only falls truly in love when she marries her husband; falling in love would be the downfall of the siblings later on
-When Hugh and Isabelle reconcile, “The pleasure he gave her was unlike any she had every experienced… It was because they loved each other absolutely. This was not blazing lust. It was love!”

6. Sacrifice
-Orpheus takes a huge risk by journeying to the underworld to reclaim Eurydice. In the same manner, Isabelle abandoned her child and her home, exposed herself to a rapey king, and risked her life to enter La Citadelle so she could rescue her beloved Hugh.
-Isabelle fiercely guarded her honor and bodily autonomy in England but sacrificed it to Guy, in an effort to rescue Hugh
-Alette gives up her oath of singlehood and marries Rolf to uphold a lie that will save Langston from the invasion of Isabelle’s half-brother

7. Faith/Trust
-Orpheus and Eurydice symbolize an attempt at a second chance in love. The significance of Orpheus looking back at Eurydice right before they are completely out of the underworld is subject to many interpretations, but for the purpose of discussing Hellion, I propose “doubt.” When two people who love each other go through serious trials in their relationship, faith and trust have to be re-established for the relationship to move forward and be healed. If one looks back and hangs on to the past, or remains skeptical of their partner, everything fails.
-Once back in Langston, Isabelle and Hugh had a major fight as Hugh did not believe Isabelle did not love Guy during their time at La Citadelle. It took forgiveness and acceptance of things that have already happened for them to reconcile. In a way, Hugh was also punished by the gods for his shortsightedness when he lost one eye in battle (which is also a nod to the Cyclops in The Odyssey)
-As Rolf says, “Replace the old memories that taunt you with the new memories that you will make together now that you are home again. Only then will you be able to exorcise that which distresses you so greatly. You know in your heart that Isabelle loves you, and always has; and I know that you love her.”

A Note on the Title:
“Hellion” is an American word that was first documented in the late 1700’s/early 1800’s. I keep wondering why this is the title, and why the medieval characters keep saying it. The simplest reason is that it is short, punchy, and accurately describes Isabelle - it’s perfect for the story even if anachronistic. The second reason is perhaps Ms. Small was doing some wordplay. “Belle from Hell” is catchy, but after returning from La Citadelle, it becomes literal. “Hell” is also found in Hellas, the name of ancient Greece.

[Anna Bowling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Bertrice Small standalone. Bonus points if you like hawks. Will re-read again.

[Olnega · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m rating this hot mess relatively high because I realise my disappointment has nothing to do with the book itself; I’ve just don’t enjoy this level of crazy anymore.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book initially lulled me into expecting the usual when wham...the plot really went sideways. I'm not quite sure how that deviation influenced my rating. Suffice to say not in an especially good way? The strong and savvy (mostly) female characters did make a positive difference though.

[Jen Warren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bertrice Small is not your typical historical romance author. You'd think so, from most of her works, until about the halfway point. That's when the happily-ever-after you were surprised to find so early on explodes. Ms. Small isn't afraid to kill off and replace heroes, nor is she afraid to give her heroine multiple Prince Charmings simultaneously. There's a difference between sex and love, and this author wants you to know it.

Hellion goes a little farther in some respects than Small's other works (though not all of them). This is not a nice romance. Both the hero and the heroine have moments of extreme unlikeability. I won't go into the over-the-top graphic sex scenes, nor the purple prose. At the end of this book, neither left that big of an impression, believe it or not. No, what struck me most was that I didn't want the hero and heroine together anymore. The reconciliation wasn't enough, given what they'd been through, and how they'd changed. Disappointing, as this was a lengthy book I'd invested a lot of painful hours in reading.

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was binged-reading B.S.' books for the past days. And haha..
This one? hmmm... 3.5 stars because I had fun reading it.

Hugh the husband is this


Vivi is this


And Isabelle and Guy...


gosh, i can't unsee the cartoons now that I remember what the hellion characters are doing in the book haha..

[Annette Summerfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some where around page 200 Belle starts explaining to Henry why she will not be unfaithful to her husband and have sex with him. The couple pages around 235 has Henry you can see that he just doesn't get it... and this is a man in the 1100s. A lot of 'kings' out there still.

If you're not into reading books with a lot of sex in them, don't read this book. If you skip through the sex scenes, as I do, then this book just became a whole lot shorter.
I'm glad Belle had an adventure and was able to experience life and now back home safe.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is just something about a book written by Bertrice Small. There is always a fiercely strong heroine. This is no exception. No matter what life throws at Isabelle, she stands fiercely proud and stubborn. There is nothing keeping this strong woman down. She fights for what she loves: her home, her family and the man that she loves. Fierce heroines like this one are my favorites, no wimpy girls can cut it. Overall, I loved this book and I will be reading more as this is my all time favorite author.

[Rebecca Huston · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not my favourite Bertrice Small book. I'm not a big fan of paranormal romance, and this one is riddled with lusty sorceresses, sex magic, and group sex, among other things. While fans of hers will enjoy it, this is one that I can not honestly recommend.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This turned up in an audiobook search for something else. Haven’t read Bertrice Small in decades. She is close to my mother’s age and sometimes I can tell that she’s from another generation. I think she was ahead of her time for some things. I’ve been reading/listening to a nonfiction book called She Wolves the Women who Ruled England before Elizabeth. This fictional book by Small gave an interesting side flavor to the Era of 1100~ setting up for Matilda’s challenge for the throne of England.

I digress. Hellion is like three books in one. I could even break it into five acts and go Shakespearean on its plot. Make no mistake. For all that it is a romance it takes a certain kind of reader to not turn it into a “wallbanger” as my friend Jeanette used to call them. Small is a good writer though so she keeps enough interest going to keep you going. I did not like some of her redundant descriptive character traits. I could’ve wished for more fantasy (Morgan Llewelyn) and less realism (think Sophie Kinsella goes medieval) from the vivienne section (that’s one of the generational ticks i noticed and a younger author would have played that angle better.)

Also something about the slow pace nagged me. And although she more than ties up all the little parts of the story… she rushes to the finish.

Not the most satisfying read.

[Trixie · Rating 2 out of 5]

She did not strike me as a "hellion." In fact, she seemed like the "biddable lass" that Bertrice Small insists none of her heroines are: loves her mama, loves horses, loves Jesus, and her boyfriend too. And if there was an Elvis in the year 1101, she would have loved him too.

Sorry, but that's the the song that stayed in my head as I read about this so-called "hellion": she's a Good Girl. So good that she will lick the honeyed paint off a sorcerer's cock and balls to free her husband, even if her husband would probably really rather think of her dead than enjoying sex with another man. And her threesome with a DP, oh my God....the plot distortions just to make a common porno theme believable for the twelfth century.

I've read too many BS books; this is my last one. The threadbare plots are so formulaic it makes work out of what should be a pleasure.

BS did go into more detail in this book about the ingredients of aphrodisiacs. Nice research, Ms. Small.

[Gerbera_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is set in medieval time when not much known about anything. The story is captivating, about love and bravery of one woman set to save her husband in the clutches of two sibling sorcerers. It has some major kinky elements that heat this book up! I loved it considering I read it in high school. What was my mother thinking reading it after me!!!

[Mysty Patell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always loved Bertrice Small. Her stories give a lot of the historical romance feel, with a touch of adventure, and I love that she isn't afraid to have her lead female characters be sexual with more than just one man. This was an overall good read. It felt a bit rushed in some chapters but definitely one of her best.

[Hijinx Abound]

One should never open a Bertrice Small novel without understanding that there will be
-hard kidnapping
- amnesia / potential ensorcellment
- survival sex
- terrible relatives
- a headstrong woman
- purple prose especially around sex
- history lessons

This was less bonkers than the Skye O’Malley books. It is very much of a time.

[Tee · Rating 3 out of 5]

1st half was a wanna be bodice ripper of the 90s. Too simple & watered down ... picturing a character in a comedy typing a novel ... tapping their chin for a word that describes throbbing member ... but I held out, cause it's Bertrice. I was rewarded with her vulgar sorcery.

[jada · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always amazing read

I gave a 5 star rating because her books are always so well writt n I feel like I know the characters like I could have been in the book those are my favorite reads thanks again for another great book wish there was another books about this family

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. 53% of the way through I was just bored and couldn't bring myself to finish. There was not enough conflict or tension to hold my interest. The characters are all really flat and I find myself not really caring about any of them.

[DemetraP · Rating 4 out of 5]

The heroine is forced to marry by the King. Her new husband is kind to her and teaches her how to read.

Her husband goes missing. She tries to find him and in the process is forced to become the lover of the owner of the castle where her husband is stuck.

There is a happy ending.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were scenes that made me blush! AND make sure no one could read over my shoulder!

[Conniefay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book it gets really sassy about halfway through the book when the magical people come into play. love the author and this book was so good would definitely read it again.

[Brianna Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay i don't even know where to start. It's like 3 different books in one....one where you hate to love it. A guilty pleasure if you will.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story

[Siv · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was included in my audible membership, a very enjoyable listen. I love historical romance and enjoy a good selection in audible included.