Quicksilver

by Sandra Dubay

When China Clairmont met Gabriel St. Jon in the rose-scented twilight of her cousin's garden, no one could have guessed they'd known each other before, in what seemed like another lifetime. Then she had been a common serving girl, not a fine lady in silks and satin; he had been a ruthless buccaneer, not a wealthy Colonial planter; and the scene of their fiery union had been a treasure-laden pirate ship, not a gracious Virginia plantation. Like quicksilver, their lives had undergone a sea change, and like quicksilver they would change again, leaving Gabriel to face a hangman's noose and China to wed his most treacherous enemy. Yet despite the vagaries of fortune, one thing remained constant -- the throbbing passion that had joined their heated bodies and would one day unite their yearning hearts. Fictiondb

Genres: Historical Romance

Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Also publishes under the pseudonym Carolyn Chase and J.K.Crane.

Reviews

[L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Heroine China Clairmont is kidnapped about a million times in this story of pirates, betrayal, erectile dysfunction and human sacrifice. The book starts off a little slow but about a quarter of the way in it finally kicks into gear and gets going.

English orphan China is sailing to Virginia to live with her Uncle Arthur's family when her ship is attacked by pirates. After being seduced by the pirate captain Gabriel Fortune, China is able to escape. She's reunited with her family only to find her cousin Rebecca is engaged to Gabriel St. Jon aka Fortune. They fight, they make love, they fight some more.

China is blackmailed into marrying Ian Leyton and returning to England. He's hoping she'll be able to help him with his very personal problem. When it doesn't work out that way, Ian falls in with a shady French duke who practices black magic and wants to cut China's heart out. Meanwhile Gabriel is betrayed to the authorities and is almost hanged. He thinks China is the one who turned him in and so he sails for England to hunt her down and exact his revenge.

[Jena]

Nees safety spoilers, please! Does this have cheating?

[Greeneyes Belle28 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Lucia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not an easy book to read, but well worth reading, as it shows the many sides to human nature, good and bad, with the powerful emotions that go with it: love, hate, goodness, evil, anger, betrayal, sacrifice, jealousy, revenge, obsession, desperation, despair, pain, forgiveness....it's all there in a story that doesn't fail to keep you entertained.

Another thing it has going for it is the minimum of over the top antagonism between the couple, China and Gabriel. They don't overdo the emotions. Gabriel's more charming than arrogant and China keeps the stubborn willfulness to a minimum. A refreshing change.

In the early 18thc, China's on her way from England to America, to live with her only remaining relatives (an uncle she hasn't seen in years, his wife and their daughter)when she's captured by pirates...twice! The second time is by Gabriel Fortune, famous American pirate/privateer. Though China fights her feelings for him, she gives in to desire, but before she can tell him she's a virgin.....she's not! That painful experience makes want to avoid him as much as possible, while Gabriel believes she's being unfair, as he didn't mean to hurt her. (It doesn't help when she discovers he's engaged to a young woman in Virginia.) When they get to America, he takes her to a cottage on his estate (the main house is being renovated in preparation for his bride), but believing he wants to set her up as his mistress, China runs away, and manages to get a ride in a carriage with young Dr. Ian Leyton, who takes her to her uncle's home, and soon starts courting her. Meanwhile, her cousin Rosamond can't wait for China to meet her fiance, Gabriel St. John. And if you think the first name is familiar...

Gabriel St. John, plantation owner, is the respectable identity of Gabriel Fortune, pirate, though he's made up his mind to give up the sea and lead a respectable life. Both China and Gabriel have average, respectable, marriages ahead of them, devoid of excitement, passion and love. It's all too clear where those emotions exist, as China's jealous of his upcoming marriage, and he's furious when she tells him she kissed Ian (neglecting to mention it gave her no thrill). China tells Gabriel to break his engagement with Rosamond, (who knows nothing of his other identity) or she'll let the authorities know about him (something she knows in her heart she'll never do). She's not acting out of jealousy - though she does feel it- but because she believes Gabriel's only using Rosamond to gain respectability, and she's not entirely wrong. Little does she know, Gabriel was planning to break it off, when the time was right, not wishing to hurt Rosamond, or declare his love for China just yet. China keeps her true feelings hidden, as well.

Secrets soon come out, as conversations are overheard, and soon both China and Gabriel fall victims to two human vices: jealousy and revenge. They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, which is expressed all too well when it comes to Rosamond, but scorned man Ian does a heck of a job himself. Rosamond wants revenge for Gabriel breaking their engagement, Ian for China turning down his proposal, both knowing where their hearts really were.

Gabriel faces imprisonment, a biased trial and near death, and then sets out on a quest for vengeance against the woman he thinks has wronged him. He plans to torment and frighten her, before taking the ultimate revenge.

China goes through more misery than most heroines, as she sacrifices herself to a loveless marriage to save her one true love, returns to England against her will, suffers through her impotent husband's attempts to get it up (thankfully, this is mentioned but not described), becomes the target of a depraved Frenchman who wants to use her in a barbaric ritual, discovers he husband is a drug addict as well as a social outcast, is stalked by a mysterious man in black, mistakenly believes Gabriel is dead, falls down a flight of stairs and loses his baby (conceived right before her sham marriage), finds Gabriel again only to discover he despises her, is accused of a terrible crime and suffers a horrible punishment. She gets her HEA and if anyone deserves it, she sure does! (She went through so much for the man she loves.)

Gabriel goes from a man eager to begin a new life with the woman he loves, to a bitter, angry man who believes she has betrayed him, to a man conflicted by feelings of love he tries to deny, and wanting to believe in her innocence, in the face of damning evidence.

There's also apparent black magic, suicide, kidnapping, fighting, killing, evil characters who get what they deserve and one who (regretfully) doesn't.

No, you will NOT be bored!

[Anna Bowling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, Sandra DuBay gives us the enthralling tale of a woman caught in a tangled mess of her time, and conquering it all to find her best life and true love. I do have to take off points for a few anachronisms that took me out of the story, but add points for deft plotting and intriguing characters.

[Mikaela O'Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want a mushy historical romance then pick up this book. A quick read that gives you a thrill even if you know what will happen.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rated 3.5