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The Tiger's Woman
SHE COULD FLEE HER PAST, BUT NOT ESCAPE IT!
She called herself Mary Smith and hid her extraordinary beauty behind widow's weeds. She came to San Francisco in flight from a secret so shattering, a man so dangerous, that no disguise could long shield her. Then she met Jason Drake--The Tiger--lover, gambler, empire builder, the one man whose power offered sanctuary.
Bound by a cold bargain, she would follow him to the majestic isolation of the San Juan Islands. There, slowly, she could learn to be free...a tenuous love could grow-until the past caught up with them and set their world aflame, testing the very special love of...The Tiger's Woman
She called herself Mary Smith and hid her extraordinary beauty behind widow's weeds. She came to San Francisco in flight from a secret so shattering, a man so dangerous, that no disguise could long shield her. Then she met Jason Drake--The Tiger--lover, gambler, empire builder, the one man whose power offered sanctuary.
Bound by a cold bargain, she would follow him to the majestic isolation of the San Juan Islands. There, slowly, she could learn to be free...a tenuous love could grow-until the past caught up with them and set their world aflame, testing the very special love of...The Tiger's Woman
656 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1981
About the author
Celeste De Blasis
15 books109 followersMillions of readers have fallen under the spell of the lush, enthralling and bestselling novels by Celeste De Blasis. Tales of adventure and romance set against the sweep of history—all are storytelling at its finest. After graduating from Pomona College, Celeste devoted her life to impeccable research and spellbinding writing. A native Californian, Celeste grew up on the historic Kemper Campbell Ranch in the Mojave Desert, where she lived until her death in 2001
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
December 17, 2014
One of my all time favorite historical romances and one of my all time favorite heros. A must read for any fan of a well written, truly romantic novel.
August 30, 2008
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 1860'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.
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 1860'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.
July 10, 2022
One of my top five books - I've read it more than 10 times! Her historical research is phenomenal and her characters are ones you want to live with even after 600+ pages.
Reread again in July 2022. I hadn't read it for several years as it was buried in the bottom shelf of my bookcase but I still love this book and couldn't put it down. I do like the picture on my book better than the one above.
Reread again in July 2022. I hadn't read it for several years as it was buried in the bottom shelf of my bookcase but I still love this book and couldn't put it down. I do like the picture on my book better than the one above.
June 4, 2010
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, " 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. But she's been abused by another, may be disturbing to some.
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, " 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. But she's been abused by another, may be disturbing to some.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2018
I almost didn't finish this book when I got to page 100 and a character was introduced that had " the gift of sight". I hate when a book has this theme, there should be some kind of warning on the back or something. However I am glad that I finished it because it turned out to be a pretty good book.
Mary/Sarah (h) is on the run. She thinks that she might have killed her father after the last time he raped her. She has been a victim of incest for many years and now at the age of 18 she could take no more and she fought back after her father's attack and she ran. Now she's a dancing girl in San Fransico and going by the name Mary Smith. One night on her way home from work she saves a man from being robbed, and as she helps him back to her room she realizes that he has a bad leg and that she recgonizes him from her childhood. Knowing now that he cant stay in her room she asks a friend, Frenchie, if she could trade rooms with her for the night. When Jason (H) is fast asleep she steels some money from his pocket and runs again, this time to Seattle were she becomes "The Widow Mary Smith.
When Jason awakes (never recognizing her as the small child he has seen breifly) he can't believe that she had stolen from him and left him, he swears to track her down. When he finds her he's not prepared for her to offer to be his mistress in exchange for his protection. He's not sure why she would need protection but it wouldn't be a problem, he owns his own island and he knows everyone who comes and goes.
Once they get to Drake's island there is many obsticles that Mary has to over come, the memory of Jason's dead wife Gaiety (the only one he could ever love), Jason's cold mother, his very distant son and a whole island full of misfits who are very loyal to Jason. As if that wasn't enough there is her father who isn't ready to end their incestuous relationship.
The hero in this one does cheat but it's very glossed over and there are a few times where he is violent to the heroine so if these things upset you, you might want to pass on this one. Also this book could have easily been at least 200 pages shorter (it's 590) and I ended up skimming a lot after about page 300 or so.
Mary/Sarah (h) is on the run. She thinks that she might have killed her father after the last time he raped her. She has been a victim of incest for many years and now at the age of 18 she could take no more and she fought back after her father's attack and she ran. Now she's a dancing girl in San Fransico and going by the name Mary Smith. One night on her way home from work she saves a man from being robbed, and as she helps him back to her room she realizes that he has a bad leg and that she recgonizes him from her childhood. Knowing now that he cant stay in her room she asks a friend, Frenchie, if she could trade rooms with her for the night. When Jason (H) is fast asleep she steels some money from his pocket and runs again, this time to Seattle were she becomes "The Widow Mary Smith.
When Jason awakes (never recognizing her as the small child he has seen breifly) he can't believe that she had stolen from him and left him, he swears to track her down. When he finds her he's not prepared for her to offer to be his mistress in exchange for his protection. He's not sure why she would need protection but it wouldn't be a problem, he owns his own island and he knows everyone who comes and goes.
Once they get to Drake's island there is many obsticles that Mary has to over come, the memory of Jason's dead wife Gaiety (the only one he could ever love), Jason's cold mother, his very distant son and a whole island full of misfits who are very loyal to Jason. As if that wasn't enough there is her father who isn't ready to end their incestuous relationship.
The hero in this one does cheat but it's very glossed over and there are a few times where he is violent to the heroine so if these things upset you, you might want to pass on this one. Also this book could have easily been at least 200 pages shorter (it's 590) and I ended up skimming a lot after about page 300 or so.
May 18, 2024
Very seventies. Rambly to start with and slows down considerable about two thirds of the way through, at least for me, but I enjoyed it. The romance and the hero and heroine are central to the plot, but this is one of those books where a big part of the appeal is meeting various people and exploring the area and its history and whatnot. Historically accurate and well researched, best I can tell, although I thought her description of corduroy roads (they called them something else out there) completely confusing. I had to look it up to figure out what she was talking about, even though I'm familiar with the concept, just not by that name. But that was the only thing that threw me.
June 11, 2018
This is one of my favorite books. It is one of the best historical romance works that I have ever read. The story is unique, the characters are unforgettable, and the detail is richly atmospheric. Like most of the other reviewers, I have read THE TIGER'S WOMAN more than once, and I plan to read it again. Recommended for romance fans and skeptics alike.
June 12, 2008
Absolutely top notch historical romantic fiction. You have it all--wild San Francisco, abused heroine on the run, reclusive hero. Very emotional. Keep the Kleenex handy.
September 9, 2019
The Tiger's Woman is a book I first read as a teenager, along with The Proud Breed, by the same author. I loved it then and it still holds up to the test of time!
“It wasn't all her own bosom filling the low-cut bodice of the spangled dress, but her legs were fine in the black net stockings...” How can you not be immediately drawn into a book that starts like this?!
Mary is a woman who is running away from someone and something. She has gone to the tough, bustling town of 1869's San Francisco to escape, and dance hall girl is the only job she can find to support herself. While it's of course common for men to approach the girls, she is terrified to recognize someone from her past (who doesn't recognize her though). She runs to the wilds of Seattle Washington—only to find that that is his home port, and he is known as The Tiger for his ruthlessness in business and love. She decides her only solution is to throw herself on his mercy, and become his mistress in exchange for his protection.
What she didn't expect was to fall in love with him, with his son, with the misfit people he has living on the island he owns (which includes an albino boy, a deaf couple, a misshapen dwarf, and a woman who can see the future and the past). Jason—the Tiger's real name—took this bargain because he was bored. He didn't expect his desire to protect Mary to turn from passion to emotion.
The love story part of this is wonderful—but the whole book is absolutely fabulous! The characters are great and well developed, the suspense of Mary's secret past is well done, and the thrilling conclusion is superbly done. In addition, the book is deliciously long (close to 600 pages hardback).
Great book for anyone who likes romances—especially if, like me, you require that your romance have an actual PLOT, lol. Also recommend for anyone who likes stories set in the nineteenth century, or who likes California/West Coast history, or any type of historical fiction. Actually, anyone who just likes a good story!!
“It wasn't all her own bosom filling the low-cut bodice of the spangled dress, but her legs were fine in the black net stockings...” How can you not be immediately drawn into a book that starts like this?!
Mary is a woman who is running away from someone and something. She has gone to the tough, bustling town of 1869's San Francisco to escape, and dance hall girl is the only job she can find to support herself. While it's of course common for men to approach the girls, she is terrified to recognize someone from her past (who doesn't recognize her though). She runs to the wilds of Seattle Washington—only to find that that is his home port, and he is known as The Tiger for his ruthlessness in business and love. She decides her only solution is to throw herself on his mercy, and become his mistress in exchange for his protection.
What she didn't expect was to fall in love with him, with his son, with the misfit people he has living on the island he owns (which includes an albino boy, a deaf couple, a misshapen dwarf, and a woman who can see the future and the past). Jason—the Tiger's real name—took this bargain because he was bored. He didn't expect his desire to protect Mary to turn from passion to emotion.
The love story part of this is wonderful—but the whole book is absolutely fabulous! The characters are great and well developed, the suspense of Mary's secret past is well done, and the thrilling conclusion is superbly done. In addition, the book is deliciously long (close to 600 pages hardback).
Great book for anyone who likes romances—especially if, like me, you require that your romance have an actual PLOT, lol. Also recommend for anyone who likes stories set in the nineteenth century, or who likes California/West Coast history, or any type of historical fiction. Actually, anyone who just likes a good story!!
June 11, 2021
This was a delightful favorite from my younger days. Old school romance and familiar tropes but gorgeous writing, true sense of place, steamy scenes, snd a happy ending. Thank you Rachel Hammer Simko for buddy reading with me!
April 15, 2018
It seems I have a rare copy?
June 26, 2015
Compelling Love Story from the Pacific Northwest – a Keeper!
One of my blog followers recommended this book and I thank her for it. It’s now on my keeper shelf. It’s the kind of story that grabs you and won’t let go. I highly recommend it.
De Blasis brings us the intriguing story of a well-educated young woman, raised to be a lady, who because of a tortured past gives herself to a man nearly twice her age who she knows harbors a love for his dead wife. But the Tiger is a man who can protect her from the one who hunts her.
Set in San Francisco, Seattle and the San Juan Islands, the story begins in 1869. The widow “Mary Smith” (an assumed name) is on the run from killing a man, or thinking she might have. Then a man who she encountered ten years ago (when she was only 8), Jason Drake, sees her dancing in a saloon and decides he wants her. She flees to Seattle, never knowing that Seattle is his home, where he is known as “the Tiger,” a man of power and wealth who has his own island.
When she discovers that the Tiger is feared and respected, Mary decides to become his mistress in a bargain that will secure her his protection from the evil that stalks her. Neither thinks the relationship will be anything but transitory, each meeting the other’s needs. But they are both in for a surprise when they fall in love and Mary’s past slams into her present.
De Blasis brings to life the world of logging and the lumber business (“the loggers had a kingdom, a language and a code of chivalry all their own…”) and creates a wonderful world that includes an island in the San Juan Islands where the misfits Jason has collected thrive. De Blasis has obviously done considerable research for this story, even down to the ship scenes, the vegetation, the Indians who show up one day and so much more. It is all very well done.
It’s a poignant story of two people whose pasts tear them apart but whose love will draw them together again, a love strong enough to overcome fear. It’s a story of self-forgiveness, of letting go of the past and embracing the future. The telling of it is a masterpiece and the characters absolutely priceless, including Jason’s young son, Jamie. You will be glad De Blasis took 651 pages to bring this story to the page. If you are like me, you will not want it to end.
There are many quotable passages along the way, but I quite liked this one, a remembered saying of Jason’s dead wife: “My fierce man, tears and rain are the same thing, they’re meant to wash you clean and make you grow. If you don’t let them out, you’ll drown inside.”
One of my blog followers recommended this book and I thank her for it. It’s now on my keeper shelf. It’s the kind of story that grabs you and won’t let go. I highly recommend it.
De Blasis brings us the intriguing story of a well-educated young woman, raised to be a lady, who because of a tortured past gives herself to a man nearly twice her age who she knows harbors a love for his dead wife. But the Tiger is a man who can protect her from the one who hunts her.
Set in San Francisco, Seattle and the San Juan Islands, the story begins in 1869. The widow “Mary Smith” (an assumed name) is on the run from killing a man, or thinking she might have. Then a man who she encountered ten years ago (when she was only 8), Jason Drake, sees her dancing in a saloon and decides he wants her. She flees to Seattle, never knowing that Seattle is his home, where he is known as “the Tiger,” a man of power and wealth who has his own island.
When she discovers that the Tiger is feared and respected, Mary decides to become his mistress in a bargain that will secure her his protection from the evil that stalks her. Neither thinks the relationship will be anything but transitory, each meeting the other’s needs. But they are both in for a surprise when they fall in love and Mary’s past slams into her present.
De Blasis brings to life the world of logging and the lumber business (“the loggers had a kingdom, a language and a code of chivalry all their own…”) and creates a wonderful world that includes an island in the San Juan Islands where the misfits Jason has collected thrive. De Blasis has obviously done considerable research for this story, even down to the ship scenes, the vegetation, the Indians who show up one day and so much more. It is all very well done.
It’s a poignant story of two people whose pasts tear them apart but whose love will draw them together again, a love strong enough to overcome fear. It’s a story of self-forgiveness, of letting go of the past and embracing the future. The telling of it is a masterpiece and the characters absolutely priceless, including Jason’s young son, Jamie. You will be glad De Blasis took 651 pages to bring this story to the page. If you are like me, you will not want it to end.
There are many quotable passages along the way, but I quite liked this one, a remembered saying of Jason’s dead wife: “My fierce man, tears and rain are the same thing, they’re meant to wash you clean and make you grow. If you don’t let them out, you’ll drown inside.”
November 20, 2012
Oh my lordie. This was a huge book and I gave up two and a half months to read it. Why so long? Because it became a chore and a plod. I admit I gave up with just under one hundred pages to go. It really should have been condensed into 1/4 of the length. There were some awful segways to birdwatching, irrelatant minor character back stories. I hate uninteresting waffle in novels. Keep to the point authors.
I did like Jason, but I didn't get enough of him. He wasn't shown in a dynamic light. I didn't know about Mary, she wasn't well characterised as her behaviour was so inconsistant. I hated the kid butting into the story, I really don't want to read about a 9 year old's life philosophy, if I did I would go looking in a whole different section of the book shop.
I found the early bits about the logging camp interesting but a bit too long and irrelavant to the story. Rio, what was the point of him?
If I want to read a book of that length it better blow my socks off, keep me turning the pages, did this one? NO.
I did like Jason, but I didn't get enough of him. He wasn't shown in a dynamic light. I didn't know about Mary, she wasn't well characterised as her behaviour was so inconsistant. I hated the kid butting into the story, I really don't want to read about a 9 year old's life philosophy, if I did I would go looking in a whole different section of the book shop.
I found the early bits about the logging camp interesting but a bit too long and irrelavant to the story. Rio, what was the point of him?
If I want to read a book of that length it better blow my socks off, keep me turning the pages, did this one? NO.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2011
I have to say that I think this is pretty much the perfect historical romance novel. It had a different setting...Celeste didn't go abroad to dazzle us with Regency balls or Scottish lairds or Irish rogues. No, she stuck with the American west, the Northwest to be precise, where logging ruled and people who were running from their past could recreate themselves...no questions asked because it was a good bet that half the people they met were running from their own secrets. The romance is a complicated one with a hero still half in love with his dead wife, yet still fascinated with a dancing girl who runs from his attentions. Add in his island home populated with misfits and a heroine with a truly torturous backstory, and you have my favorite romance book, period. Absolutely glorious, and I bet that you will never forget Mary after reading this novel.
June 25, 2015
4.5 One of these epic sort of historical love stories. The man known as the "tiger" is a prominent business man in the Pacific Northwest, lumber, silver mines, etc. It is set in the mid-late 1800's in San Francisco, Seattle and the San Juan Islands. He finds interest in a young woman, Mary, who is running from and in constant danger from her past. I loved this author's Wild Swan series and this one was equally wonderful, might compare her writing to Sara Donati or Paullina Simmons.
November 17, 2014
This is THE BEST romance book I have ever read, it's one of my favorite books of all time, and I've read it at least thirty times! I bought it about twenty five years ago, read it about ten times, accidently threw it out with some old books, and bought it again. I still read it every so often even tho I know it cover to cover. You haven't read a real romance book until you read this one.
July 10, 2012
Excellent book!!!
August 6, 2012
How can someone give less than 5 stars to this book? I loved it,adored it. This is a must read.
August 18, 2013
Another favorite that I have read many times throughout the years. Celeste DeBlasis left a beautiful legacy.
August 31, 2022
Dnf at 50%. I just gave up as I wasn't enthused by the story. The writing was fine and all but I wasn't drawn in. Maybe I'll try again later.
September 25, 2022
I've purchased about 10 copies of this book and then 'loaned' it out and never gotten it back. I purchased a hardback edition at a used book store and I'm never lending it again. This is one of my favorite books -- I read it at least once a year. Characters that are rich and flawed and so much history intertwined in the story.
Seriously one of the best.books.ever. Read it! I wish it was on Kindle but until then, I'll just keep reading the hardback. Over and over and over...
My annual read of an old friend. I still cry, laugh, and cheer at all the same places. Although it is historical romantic fiction, there is a lot of factual Seattle and San Juan history in the story. I find myself looking things up to clarify dates, and learn more about the famous names interspersed in the story.
Seriously one of the best.books.ever. Read it! I wish it was on Kindle but until then, I'll just keep reading the hardback. Over and over and over...
My annual read of an old friend. I still cry, laugh, and cheer at all the same places. Although it is historical romantic fiction, there is a lot of factual Seattle and San Juan history in the story. I find myself looking things up to clarify dates, and learn more about the famous names interspersed in the story.
September 29, 2021
Stark, Honest, Confronting, Poignant - a timeless love story set in early pioneering days
This is the story of a young woman with a terrible secret, hiding a shame that has never belonged to her. Little more than a child, she’s running away from a savage past while haunted by images of a cruel man, along with a bloody gun that once dangled from her shaky hand.
Mary Smith has travelled across the entire breadth of the northern reaches of the USA, only to be rescued by a face from the past - a strong, handsome man with a badly misshapen leg which he has to drag around with him wherever he goes. And yet, this cruel injury brought about by the neglect of the one person who should have ensured his safety, will never be given the power to define this successful empire builder who has always taken what he wants without thought since his beloved wife died in childbirth several years ago.
Jason is fighting his own ghosts from the past, until the night he spots Mary hiding behind a gaudy costume and wig as a dancer in a Barbary Coast saloon. After a game of cat and mouse where she lives in dread and fear of revealing her past, he promises to become her protector and benefactor, even without knowing that terrible secret she’s hiding, sweeping her away to his own private island between Vancouver and Seattle, to live among a band of what was classed as ‘misfits’ in those early pioneering days, albeit mostly gentle folk in desperate need of compassion and hope, including a young albino boy, a hunchback, and two deaf-mutes, who all pull Jason and Mary into their unique worlds in one way or another.
This is one of the most touching love stories you could ever read, and not just the one slowly awakening between the two main characters, but also through the relationships made between unlikely neighbours and new friends - poignant enough to make the most cynical heart beat that little bit faster, and written in exquisitely descriptive prose with wonderful insights into the people, history, customs and landmarks found in early north-west America. Two lines grabbed my heart in particular, although they’re only two of many that drew vivid pictures in my imagination. Firstly, “My fierce man, tears and rain are the same thing, they're meant to wash you clean and make you grow. If you don't let them out, you'll drown inside.” And then there’s this one, sitting at the opposite edge of emotion: “He pulled the guilt back around him, a shroud too familiar to abandon.”
All of the characters are unique - some you fall in love with instantly, others are rather mysterious or inverted and it takes a while to get to know them, while a particular few you dislike with a passion - though all have an interesting story that has made them who they are and brought them to this isolated sliver of earth ruled by ‘The Tiger’.
Slowly like a flower awakening, Mary, after having lived in fear for most of her life, becomes a healer of relationships with her gentle ability to see beyond others’ hurts and fears to open up a brand new future to each of these rejected souls living on this isolated little island.
Many would describe this as a sensual read, with some portions similar to Solomon and Bathsheba’s union in the Bible, where the prose is slow-burning and exquisite, filled with wondrous word pictures, similar to that ancient Song of Songs.
There are many reasons I’m drawn to this novel - probably most of all because it lays bare the different foibles making up each one of us, and how our own past experiences can often dictate how we treat others. It certainly doesn’t shy away from enunciating both the good and the bad things people do to one another throughout a lifetime of experiences, but I think most of all, it shows the power we all have to be the actual instigators of that same good or evil and it’s effect upon others, along with the redemptive power of forgiveness and kindness.
At its true heart, this is a tale of two lost and lonely souls, finding solace and strength in each other when they thought all hope was gone. Their choices throughout the multi-layered facets of their lives, may seem strange, far-fetched or even somewhat repugnant to some readers, however, looking deeper into the heart of these individual reasonings, every single one has a deep and understandable motive behind that particular choice. And at the very heart of each one, it’s their love, concern and desire for only the best for one another that is their driving force. Sometimes people have to go down paths they could never have foretold, and certainly not because it’s of their choosing, but only for the sake of the one they love above all others.
And once again, after being taken back into Celeste De Blasis’ fascinating imagination, I give it a wholehearted 10 out of 10 - and I wouldn’t mind betting I pick it up once more in the not too distant future to get to know them all over again!
Somehow I actually think Covid has brought out my sentimental streak as this is the third time this year I’ve gone back to rereading an old favourite. This is possibly my all-time ‘most loved’ out of several sitting on my bookshelves, since that first time I was lost inside its pages exactly forty years ago after it was first published in May 1981. I can still remember reading it during those long midnight hours after feeding my tiny baby on a cold winter’s night in Canberra. Then I’d be off, lost inside Mary and Jason’s world for several hours as their fascinating story grabbed my heart - promising myself to read just one more chapter, which soon turned into another and then several more before catching that elusive thing called sleep until my baby daughter’s next feed.
This is a massive novel - over 600 pages printed in a tiny typeface- but I think it only took me four or five sittings back then, and I’ve been held just as spellbound ever since, having read it at least ten times over the years.
This time I took much longer, reading it with a more mature understanding and wanting to savour every description and experience so as not to miss one potent nugget of this heart-wrenching love story and its fascinating parade of characters.
My original copy has since been covered in contact to still the ravages of time and continual readings by both myself and my older sister who loved it just as much as me.
Sometimes brutal in its honestly relating how life truly was in those raw pioneering days in the far north-west corner of the USA as a young frightened woman has to somehow fend for herself, but mostly poignant and passionate as two hurting people find wholeness again. Some previous reviewers found certain portions quite offensive in these ‘more enlightened times’, but the prose suits the era and attitudes back then, and after all, history is what it is. Personally, I was swept back into those days and could easily understand why certain things happened the way they did, and believe it adds to not only the epic storyline, but also the authenticity of those times, which authors need to take on board when writing historical fiction. And this isn’t just your usual run-of-the-mill pioneering novel, it gives wonderful insights into the customs and habits of both ‘white folk’ and the Inuit tribes found along the Canadian/USA Pacific Islands at that particular time in history.
One absolute joy since that last time I was held in its grip, is rediscovering places I’ve had the pleasure of exploring myself in recent years during two amazing holidays throughout northern USA and Canada - in particular, the Fraser River in British Columbia with its fascinating goldrush history, the magnificent Puget Sound as well as the fascinating cities of Seattle and Victoria, BC’s capital located on the lush goodness of Vancouver Island, and then sailing through the San Juan islands situated between both cities, followed by the wonder of flying over them in a seaplane, and then rounded off with an unexpected trip to New York the following year. Being able to picture those spectacular places has added a wonderful new dimension, however the icing on the cake was accidentally discovering the author was born on the exact same date as I was, albeit ten years earlier than me. Maybe that’s why I now love writing my own epic love stories set around lots of drama and tragedy.
This is the story of a young woman with a terrible secret, hiding a shame that has never belonged to her. Little more than a child, she’s running away from a savage past while haunted by images of a cruel man, along with a bloody gun that once dangled from her shaky hand.
Mary Smith has travelled across the entire breadth of the northern reaches of the USA, only to be rescued by a face from the past - a strong, handsome man with a badly misshapen leg which he has to drag around with him wherever he goes. And yet, this cruel injury brought about by the neglect of the one person who should have ensured his safety, will never be given the power to define this successful empire builder who has always taken what he wants without thought since his beloved wife died in childbirth several years ago.
Jason is fighting his own ghosts from the past, until the night he spots Mary hiding behind a gaudy costume and wig as a dancer in a Barbary Coast saloon. After a game of cat and mouse where she lives in dread and fear of revealing her past, he promises to become her protector and benefactor, even without knowing that terrible secret she’s hiding, sweeping her away to his own private island between Vancouver and Seattle, to live among a band of what was classed as ‘misfits’ in those early pioneering days, albeit mostly gentle folk in desperate need of compassion and hope, including a young albino boy, a hunchback, and two deaf-mutes, who all pull Jason and Mary into their unique worlds in one way or another.
This is one of the most touching love stories you could ever read, and not just the one slowly awakening between the two main characters, but also through the relationships made between unlikely neighbours and new friends - poignant enough to make the most cynical heart beat that little bit faster, and written in exquisitely descriptive prose with wonderful insights into the people, history, customs and landmarks found in early north-west America. Two lines grabbed my heart in particular, although they’re only two of many that drew vivid pictures in my imagination. Firstly, “My fierce man, tears and rain are the same thing, they're meant to wash you clean and make you grow. If you don't let them out, you'll drown inside.” And then there’s this one, sitting at the opposite edge of emotion: “He pulled the guilt back around him, a shroud too familiar to abandon.”
All of the characters are unique - some you fall in love with instantly, others are rather mysterious or inverted and it takes a while to get to know them, while a particular few you dislike with a passion - though all have an interesting story that has made them who they are and brought them to this isolated sliver of earth ruled by ‘The Tiger’.
Slowly like a flower awakening, Mary, after having lived in fear for most of her life, becomes a healer of relationships with her gentle ability to see beyond others’ hurts and fears to open up a brand new future to each of these rejected souls living on this isolated little island.
Many would describe this as a sensual read, with some portions similar to Solomon and Bathsheba’s union in the Bible, where the prose is slow-burning and exquisite, filled with wondrous word pictures, similar to that ancient Song of Songs.
There are many reasons I’m drawn to this novel - probably most of all because it lays bare the different foibles making up each one of us, and how our own past experiences can often dictate how we treat others. It certainly doesn’t shy away from enunciating both the good and the bad things people do to one another throughout a lifetime of experiences, but I think most of all, it shows the power we all have to be the actual instigators of that same good or evil and it’s effect upon others, along with the redemptive power of forgiveness and kindness.
At its true heart, this is a tale of two lost and lonely souls, finding solace and strength in each other when they thought all hope was gone. Their choices throughout the multi-layered facets of their lives, may seem strange, far-fetched or even somewhat repugnant to some readers, however, looking deeper into the heart of these individual reasonings, every single one has a deep and understandable motive behind that particular choice. And at the very heart of each one, it’s their love, concern and desire for only the best for one another that is their driving force. Sometimes people have to go down paths they could never have foretold, and certainly not because it’s of their choosing, but only for the sake of the one they love above all others.
And once again, after being taken back into Celeste De Blasis’ fascinating imagination, I give it a wholehearted 10 out of 10 - and I wouldn’t mind betting I pick it up once more in the not too distant future to get to know them all over again!
Somehow I actually think Covid has brought out my sentimental streak as this is the third time this year I’ve gone back to rereading an old favourite. This is possibly my all-time ‘most loved’ out of several sitting on my bookshelves, since that first time I was lost inside its pages exactly forty years ago after it was first published in May 1981. I can still remember reading it during those long midnight hours after feeding my tiny baby on a cold winter’s night in Canberra. Then I’d be off, lost inside Mary and Jason’s world for several hours as their fascinating story grabbed my heart - promising myself to read just one more chapter, which soon turned into another and then several more before catching that elusive thing called sleep until my baby daughter’s next feed.
This is a massive novel - over 600 pages printed in a tiny typeface- but I think it only took me four or five sittings back then, and I’ve been held just as spellbound ever since, having read it at least ten times over the years.
This time I took much longer, reading it with a more mature understanding and wanting to savour every description and experience so as not to miss one potent nugget of this heart-wrenching love story and its fascinating parade of characters.
My original copy has since been covered in contact to still the ravages of time and continual readings by both myself and my older sister who loved it just as much as me.
Sometimes brutal in its honestly relating how life truly was in those raw pioneering days in the far north-west corner of the USA as a young frightened woman has to somehow fend for herself, but mostly poignant and passionate as two hurting people find wholeness again. Some previous reviewers found certain portions quite offensive in these ‘more enlightened times’, but the prose suits the era and attitudes back then, and after all, history is what it is. Personally, I was swept back into those days and could easily understand why certain things happened the way they did, and believe it adds to not only the epic storyline, but also the authenticity of those times, which authors need to take on board when writing historical fiction. And this isn’t just your usual run-of-the-mill pioneering novel, it gives wonderful insights into the customs and habits of both ‘white folk’ and the Inuit tribes found along the Canadian/USA Pacific Islands at that particular time in history.
One absolute joy since that last time I was held in its grip, is rediscovering places I’ve had the pleasure of exploring myself in recent years during two amazing holidays throughout northern USA and Canada - in particular, the Fraser River in British Columbia with its fascinating goldrush history, the magnificent Puget Sound as well as the fascinating cities of Seattle and Victoria, BC’s capital located on the lush goodness of Vancouver Island, and then sailing through the San Juan islands situated between both cities, followed by the wonder of flying over them in a seaplane, and then rounded off with an unexpected trip to New York the following year. Being able to picture those spectacular places has added a wonderful new dimension, however the icing on the cake was accidentally discovering the author was born on the exact same date as I was, albeit ten years earlier than me. Maybe that’s why I now love writing my own epic love stories set around lots of drama and tragedy.
November 17, 2013
I read this book like when it first came out and I LOVED IT! The Hero and the Heroine are both emotionally damaged and it was the first book within the romance realm that spoke about sexual abuse. May not be everyones taste but again I loved it. I lost the book with several moves and I found it again on Amazon as a used book and I'm going to quickly order it. I am sad that I can't get it in ebook or pdf format as I have pretty much gotten away from books in "paper" form.
April 25, 2015
this will long be one of my favorite books. it goes far beyond a romance novel, the characters and the history that is here pull you in. i cried unabashedly with Mary and read passages out loud to anyone who would let me. this book has stayed with me all these years and i reach for it again and again.
June 3, 2021
An epic sweeping story that covers many years but also makes the story feel close and intimate without feeling small. I highly recommend pretty much everything this author writes because she has a wonderful style.
August 28, 2020
Third or fourth time to read. Always a good comfort read.
September 30, 2022
This was quite a story, though there's a dark theme behind it which is very disturbing, as well as sad. The love between Jason (the Tiger) and Sarah (a.k.a. Mary), that starts off as a business arrangement (one of necessity, to ensure Sarah's safety) and ends up as a marriage between soulmates, is one that stands up to (and defeats) every obstacle in its path, including the hostility of Jason's young son by his first marriage, his memories of his late wife, Sarah's diabolical father (an overpowering presence throughout the novel, though he only appears toward the end), financial hardships and the walls they've both built around their hearts, due to their pasts.
It's a long book, but a page turner.
It's a long book, but a page turner.
June 7, 2022
Mary Smith is dancing in a saloon in San Francisco when a man decides he wants her. With the help of her friend and the star attraction, Frenchie, she plans to switch rooms. On her way back to her boarding house, she sees the man being attacked and goes to help him. She brings him back to the boarding house to Frenchie’s room, where he passes out. Then, with Frenchie’s help, she flees to Seattle on a ship. Eventually the man, Jason Drake, finds her and Mary decides she will be safer with him than continuing to run. The bargain is that she will stay with him and be him mistress, but he can never ask about her past. Who is Mary Smith and what is she running from.
November 1, 2024
I've read this book. She resists him and he has to earn her trust.
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