Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
Raised as a pirate’s daughter, Amanda Carre has never been tutored in the finer social graces. Alone in the world, she has never depended on anyone, until fate intervenes in the form of Cliff de Warenne, who rescues her from a mob at her father’s hanging. Now she must set sail for England to find the mother she never knew, and her chaperone is an infamous ladies man…..

He is also the greatest gentleman privateer of the era. Honor demands he see this beautiful wild child to London and into her socialite mother’s arms, and Cliff must deny any attraction to her. Aware that she is utterly unprepared for a debut in London’s ton, his only recourse is to become her guardian and champion her transformation into a lady—and find her a suitable match. But with every passing moment, it becomes harder to deny an explosive passion—until Amanda makes her stunning debut and takes matters into her own hands. A lady at last, his heart is about to be tamed…

Power, Passion, Privilege… the de Warenne Dynasty continues.

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

68 people are currently reading
1315 people want to read

About the author

Brenda Joyce

106 books1,298 followers
Brenda Joyce is the bestselling author of forty-one novels and five novellas. She has won many awards, and her debut novel, Innocent Fire, won a Best Western Romance award. She has also won the highly coveted Best Historical Romance award for Splendor and Two Lifetime Achievement Awards from Romantic Times BOOKreviews. There are over 14 million copies of her novels in print and she is published in over a dozen foreign countries.

A native New Yorker, she now lives in southern Arizona with her son, dogs, and her Arabian and half-Arabian reining horses. Brenda divides her time between her twin passions—writing powerful love stories and competing with her horses at regional and national levels. For more information about Brenda and her upcoming novels, please visit her Web sites: www.brendajoyce.com, www.thedewarennedynasty.com and http://mastersoftimebooks.com.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
771 (38%)
4 stars
698 (34%)
3 stars
409 (20%)
2 stars
112 (5%)
1 star
19 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
Profile Image for S.
387 reviews87 followers
May 3, 2015


"I need to have a rolling deck under my feet and a good wind in my hair." - Amanda Carre

This book is like a warm, cozy hug! Straight to favs! So many highlights, so heartwarming, so charming and compelling! And the troupe: Pygmalion pirate theme!I can't imagine anything better!
"You are trying to transform a pirate's child into a lady?"
"It seemed the obvious course of action."
"My charming, rakehell, conscienceless brother, infamous for his seductions of courtesans and countesses, is now champion of a pirate's daughter. This will be a very interesting Season, I think."
Cliff saves Amanda from a mob at her father's hanging, and he feels a strange need to protect her. Her father's dying wish is that she is to be reunited with her mother in England. So they set sails on a wonderful journey.
The sun was high, soft cumulous clouds scudded in the sky, and a pair of dolphins were racing the frigate at its larboard side.
Amanda is a wonderful, one of a kind heroine. She is courageous, beautiful and fun. She can fight with a sword and captain a ship. Cliff is smitten with her, but he refuses to acknowledge it and tries to stay a gentleman.
"Papa likes you, too," Ariella said abruptly.
Amanda tripped. "What?"
Ariella smiled at her. "He stares at you all the time and he turns red. He never blushes, except when you are in the room."
Cliff is an awesome hero. And he is a father! His kids are adorable! He is strong, arrogant, caring, powerful and kind.
She felt as if she was in a fairy tale with her own Prince Charming. She had to pinch herself to remind her that she was hardly her prince. But somehow, he had become her champion.
It was such a lovely journey from the beautiful Jamaica over the seas to England and then the introduction to the ton. Cliff's family was the best! I adored every single one of them. I didn't even mind a small separation because everything that happened was so exciting!

Read it! You don't want to miss this wonderful gem!
Profile Image for Lori ◡̈.
1,154 reviews
May 5, 2024
Another great addition to the de Warenne Dynasty series.

I loved the personality of the characters once again, it seems so far that Brenda Joyce includes very likeable characters in her novels. So far in this series they have all been with the girls knowing very quickly at the beginning of each story that she loves the hero, but the heroes seem to all be resistant for one reason or another but it is sweet to watch the heroes all eventually fall in love.

In this story, A Lady at Last, it was not a very steamy book at all, but was very sweet all the same. My favorite part was at the end when Cliff chased her across the sea to confront her on the boat that she had 'borrowed'. It was sweet :)
Profile Image for Gloria.
1,137 reviews109 followers
August 16, 2024
This held me in a pretty tight grip until about 88%, when the hero did something predictably idiotic—he was dashing, kind, and as honorable as a man with two illegitimate children could be but was determined to avoid love and marriage—followed shortly afterwards by the heroine doing something, impulsive, idiotic, criminal and crazy at about 92%.

And that’s the one I’d like to howl about because for most of this book Amanda, the heroine, was well-nigh perfect. Loyal, resourceful, intelligent, intuitive, occasionally naive, courageous, and caring, this little 17-year-old was impressive. Very little got by her. She was totally sympathetic and likable, which is why her uncharacteristic, decidedly dubious actions at the end were so disappointing.

And the epilogue was completely pointless.

But 88% of a terrific novel is nothing to sneeze at, so a solid four stars.

Bingo card progress: age gap romance.
Profile Image for ♥ℳelody.
785 reviews847 followers
May 28, 2017
This had all the elements of what I usually love in a HR book. A dashing rakehell privateer taking on a 'wild child' orphaned innocent tomboy as his ward and tutoring her in the ways of becoming a lady. But dammit....the writing just killed it for me. There's a lot of unnecessary repetition, sloppy world building, awkward phrasing and stilted flat dialogue (some of which made no sense). And the overly dramatic 'she cried' 'he cried' 'she breathed' just annoyed me to no end. It's too soap opera. I could forgive it if it was used lightly but it's everywhere, especially near the end. Cliff "crying out" randomly for no reason while he carries her to bed.... whut the fudge? He cried out what exactly? Did he stub his toe?

And I don't know of any experienced rake who blushes as much as the hero Cliff de Warrene does in here. Like damn....does he have rosacea? The number of times this guy blushes and gets flustered I found extremely odd and...unrealistic? He's a world renown rake who's traveled the world and lived on the sea most of his adult life so there is nearly nothing that should make this guy blush. It just kept throwing me off and taking me out of moments. And the love scenes?
 photo 856791.gif
Whomp whomp whomp. You drag things out at a snails pace and force ridiculous contrived reasons to keep your couple apart only to give a half page glossed over reunion? After all that? No beuno. I'm a detail kind of gal and her writing style is too lose and shallow for me.

But I am intrigued enough by Cliff's brooding older brother Rex who seems entranced by Lady Harrington, so I will give the next book a try (if I can find it). But damn I really wish the writing was stronger and had more depth.
Profile Image for daemyra, the realm's delight.
1,298 reviews37 followers
May 17, 2020
What does it mean to be a lady? Pygmalion stories are a common plotline in the romance world, whether it is elevating the guttersnipe thief or the rat-catcher to the status of a lady or a gentleman and having the Lordy Lord or the Fancy Lady inevitably falling in love with their creation. Typically, the past life is erased, all the rough uncouthness is removed from their thought and speech, perhaps it comes in a heated argument through a colloquial saying but for the most part, the transformation is complete and there is no looking back. But what does it mean to be a lady when one does not want to be a lady?

A Lady At Last is one of the BEST books in Brenda Joyce's de Warrenne Dynasty series for its unique take on Pygmalion and its sizzling chemistry between Amanda Carre AKA Le Sauvage and Cliff de Warrenne.

With Brenda Joyce, you can expect the hero to be an alpha male but whether the heroine will have a spine is a little more dicey. However, Amanda Carre is one of the rawest heroines to duke it out with an alpha male. Like, I'm so impressed by Amanda and the things she says and does.

description

And I loved it.

description

Amanda is a breath of fresh air. She is a perfect blend of vulnerability and toughness. Amanda is called the Savage because her father, Rodney, allowed her to run wild in Jamaica. She is brave and independent. She loves to sail on the open sea, has no fear of thunderstorms, and the girl can use a dagger to flirt, goddamn. Like that knife scene ALONE. Amanda Carre is a queen. Her toughness is also a source of vulnerability. Her father was an absent and physically abusive presence in her life and she never knew her mother.

Cliff is the lone wolf adventurer who does not want to lead a conventional life and settle down. He spends most of his time sailing and he has two children that he is raising by himself. Rachel, the mother, was put to death. She was a Jewess enslaved in a Barbary prince's harem and after it was discovered she had been with Cliff, she had been sentenced to death.

Now, you'd think Cliff would be very domineering as most romantic heroes who are pirates or captains are, and you'd expect Amanda to put up a good show but eventually be cowed because that is what typically happens in these plotlines.

It is a great pleasure to read what actually unfolds. Amanda holds her own when she is so honest and blunt with Cliff and Cliff, despite trying to push her away, has a softer and more nurturing side come out. It is so sweet to see how Cliff loves to protect and take care of Amanda. At one point, Amanda informs Cliff of her plans to be independent. Cliff being confused is one of the most hilarious highlights of the story: "Why can't I take care of you." [Cliffe] tried. "It's a pleasant task." Cliff grovels so well he literally begs to take care of Amanda.

description

And the HEAT between the two. It was hot. That tension you could cut like a knife through butter. The role reversal was amazing too; Cliff played defense to Amanda's offense. Yes booty call his butt on the boat!

The cherry on top was the relationship between the two - Cliff feels for Amanda's life story, and he loves her originality. He may have been shocked at her speech or her use of bartering her body but he never judges her for how she was raised. All Cliff wants is to protect her and make sure she has a happy life. Amanda, meanwhile, is continually surprised by how Cliff behaves like a gentleman, and his care and interest in her makes her fall gradually in love with him. The romance made sense, and it was one of those romances where they were both able to elevate each other's higher selves. Cliff is caring and supportive when he is with Amanda and Amanda is trusting and safe.

A Lady At Last will play on your heartstrings from the romance between Cliff and Amanda but also for Amanda's plight. I felt for Amanda all by herself and having each illusion about her life broken, and when she confronts her mother for the last time about how changing herself will never be enough, just wow.

If you are looking for similar character dynamics, Amanda reminds me of Julia in Loving Julia by Karen Robards. Julia is a guttersnipe with a foul mouth and temper who says what she wants. Julia is also in a guardian-ward relationship with Sebastien that creates crackling tension, similar to Amanda and Cliff.
Profile Image for Azet.
1,095 reviews284 followers
June 4, 2020
(REVIEW IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SWEDISH)

This was an incredible journey, just as i had expected. Brenda Joyce has never disappointed me and now i just love the author more. I read this book in Swedish in the pocket cover of the title "Piratens Dotter".

The day when Amanda Carre´s father is hanging, the pirate hunter Cliff deWarenne saves her and follows his promise to protect her and takes her home to his mother to make her a lady. Cliff is aware that Amanda is totally unprepared for a debut in London and therefore sees that this wild, but beautiful pirate's daughter is taught how a fine lady should behave and he also takes the assignment to find a suitable husband for her.
But over time, it becomes increasingly difficult for Cliff to hide their desire and their love can no longer be denied.

This book caused me to lose sleep, laugh, cry and bother of excitement. Amanda is a heroine who really is wild, and she's even in the same age as me, 17 years old. The bad thing with her was that she was SO childish from the beginning, who gets jealous of a little girl just because she can read?

Cliff Cliff Cliff ........... god how much I LOVE HIM !!!!!!I always love Joyce`s heroes and he's no exception.He is so wild, strong and loves the ocean as much as Amanda does and I almost cried when he found out that he loved her after leaving her for 2 weeks, then I cried again when he noticed that she left him, how his heart was crushed, oh how i felt sorry for him !!!!!
I'm also looking forward to reading about Cliff's children, I know Alexi deWarenne has a book, and I look forward to reading it, he's 10 years old in the "A Lady at Last" and is a real troublemaker, wondering how wild he will become when he is an adult man!

It was an incredible end, and the epilogue made me laugh too!

*****

Det här var en otrolig resa,precis som jag hade förväntat mig.Brenda Joyce har aldrig gjort mig besviken och nu älskar jag författaren bara ännu mer.Jag läste denna boken på svenska i pocket-omslag vid titeln "Piratens Dotter".

Dagen då Amanda Carres far hängs räddar den piratjägaren Cliff deWarenne henne och följer sitt löfte till att beskydda henne och ta henne hem till sin mor.Cliff är medveten om att Amanda är totalt oförberedd för en debut i London och ser därför till att denna vilda,men vackra piratens dotter får undervisning i hur en fin dam bör uppföra sig och han tar också an uppdraget att hitta en lämplig make åt henne.
Men med tiden blir det allt svårare för Cliff att dölja sin åtrå och deras kärlek kan inte längre förnekas.

Den här boken fick mig att förlora sömn,skratta,gråta och ila av spänning.
Amanda är en hjältinna som VERKLIGEN är vild av sig,och hon är till och med i samma ålder som mig,17 år.Det negativa med henne var att hon var SÅ BARNSLIG från början,vem blir avundsjuk på en liten tjej bara för att hon kan läsa?

Cliff Cliff Cliff...........gud vad jag ÄLSKAR HONOM!!!!!!Joyces hjältar älskar jag alltid och han här är inget undantag.Han är så vild,stark och älskar havet lika mycket som Amanda gör och jag nästan grät när han fick reda på att han älskade henne efter att ha varit ifrån henne i 2 veckor,sedan grät jag igen när han märkte att hon lämnat honom,hur hans hjärta förkrossades,åhhh vad jag tyckte synd om honom!!!!!
Jag ser också fram emot att läsa om Cliffs barn,jag vet att Alexi deWarenne har en bok,och jag ser så fram emot att läsa den,han är en 10 åring i "Piratens Dotter" och är en riktig buse,undrar hur vild han då är när han är en vuxen man!

Det var ett otroligt slut,och epilogen fick mig också att skratta.
Profile Image for bell.
174 reviews3 followers
January 21, 2018
Urgg.. I don't know what happened between books 1/2 of this series and the ones following it. They seem to get worse as the sequels increase. This was difficult because I absolutely love Brenda Joyce and Loved Promise of the Rose. I was so excited that she was writing more about this family then I read book 3 , 4, 5, 6 and now 7 and have since changed my mind.
The heroine in this book never grows up , she acts like a child through the entire story. I had to skip chapters upon chapters just to finish this book.
The hero, Cliff, is the youngest son of the Earl of Adare. He is in shipping and when in Kingston shows up only to find that they are going to hang one of his acquaintances as a pirate in the morning. Though cliff only slightly knows this "pirate" Carre, he has seen the man's daughter swimming, etc. several times throughout the years. When he goes to visit his friend the colonel governor, Mr. Wood, he walks in on the "pirate's" daughter, Amanda, begging for her father's life. The governor tells the girl if she sleeps with him he will pardon her father. The girl agrees and this "deal" disgusts Cliff who is in the room. Cliff asks his friend to not go through with it, but Mr. wood tells Cliff to leave. Cliff leaves and then has second thoughts and burst's in on Amanda and Mr. Wood before anything can really happen. Cliff tells Amanda that Wood was never going to pardon her father, but was going to use her and kill her father in the morning.
Amanda finds out that her mother is still alive and a lady in England. The hero takes her to England to meet her mother. I won't get into the rest of it because it would be spoilers.
I didn't particularly like the book, but oddly enough I did like Amanda's suitor and wish there was an HEA between him and Amanda in the end. I felt that the heroine never really grew up and I felt like I was reading a YA romance.
Heat level- barely any
Violence- fistacuff
Profile Image for Yumru.
139 reviews15 followers
March 5, 2013
Seri ilerledikçe yazar beni hayal kırıklığına sürüklüyor doğrusu, kitap da bir şeyler eksik derken ilk aklıma gelen aşk bu kitapta çok iyi işlenmiş değildi bana göre.Duygusal şeyler havada kaldı sanki,belkide çok beklenti ile okuduğum içinde olabilir.

Cliff bu hikayede başka biriydi ,yazar her daim aynı şeyleri yapıyor,karakterlerini kendi kitaplarında çekilmez bir tip haline getiriyor ve bunda gayet başarılı ama beni düşündüren Bir Avuç Aşk kitabını yazan yazar bu kitaplarda neden daha oldu bittiye getirir halde yazdığı.

Amanda'ya kitabın başından sonuna kadar sinir oldum,hadi genç dedim ama korsanın kızı olarak büyüyen bir genç kızın daha etkili bir karakter olmasını isterdim.Cliff gibi birine bence daha iyi olurdu diye düşünüyorum:))(Bazılarını duyar gibiyim daha iyisini sen yaz o zaman.)

Kızın annesi için söyleyecek kelime bulamıyorum midemi bulandırdı,hareketleri tavırları çok iğrençti.
Yazarı seviyorum kalemi kuvvetli ama son iki çıkan kitaplarında ben bu kalemi göremiyorum.

Neticeye gelirsek ne çok sevdim ne çok kötü buldum...
Profile Image for Ashley.
173 reviews
December 4, 2011
This is what happens when you read Brenda Joyce's romance novels! I ended up sleeping at 2am, skipping my homework, dedicating my full attention to the book. I was dying to know what happened next.

So...I must confess I did not read the de Warrene novels in order. My first was Rolfe de Warrene, and wow. He was (for me) the epitome of an alpha male. But to read Cliff de Warrene, I thought to myself: this man descended from Rolfe? Seriously? The gentleman nature was really an interesting and refreshing approach in the book. And I'm afraid I shall have my outburst now...

I absolutely adore this book! The heroine is amazing, and the hero is amazing. The story? Beautiful and brilliant! I was hoping it'd be a sizzling and steamy romance like Rolfe's but... There I go again, making unfair comparisons! Though it's not like the Conquerer, I enjoyed this book immensely!

There is no doubt that I will continue my hunt for the rest of the de Warrene books. =)
Profile Image for Nessa.
3,931 reviews71 followers
April 12, 2018
WOWZA! I WISHED THERE WERE MORE STORIES LIKE THIS ONE. INEVITABLE AND BITTERSWEET PAINFUL IS AN APT DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERS ROMANCE.

OUR HERO is the third son of Adare, and at age 14 has already left home to pursue a place in this world for himself. He was also lusty by nature, having sired two bastards from completely different mothers and also an unconventional father who loves them dearly. Normally I'm not too partial with heroes with kids but Cliff's childreb were adorable and kind. Cliff never expected to be La Sauvage's knight in a shining armour. In fact, he's all but helpless towards her beauty, mixed innocence and glaring naivete. Cliff's describes our heroine as having another child in his family because she was just so lost after the death of her father. Cliff is not hard to like. He's a good man, overall but he can be stupidly blind and stubborn. He's practically in denial throughout the whole story when his actions and jealousy prone outbursts already speaks for him. Indefinitely, he treats our heroine with a lot of respect and great care. Not to mention, he cherishes her thoughts and having the same love for the ocean is a bonus.

OUR HEROINE was just too adorable and I loved reading about her. She's as harmless as a babe, and having been brought up by a pirate...well, you can say she is desperately lacking in the social and ethical compartment. She swears lIke a sailor and charms like a whore, except she's still a virgin. When her father was tried to hang for piracy, she tries all that she can to rescue him but the man's fate was inevitable. So, this leads to her meeting with Cliff, finding a Champion in him and eventually the man she falls hopelessly in love with. Can't blame the girl too. Despite her innocence, what made her charming was also her brazen spirit and good natured determination, especially when she learnt to read English and tried to behave like a lady.

OVERALL this was one absolutely endearing story. Mind you, the characters had their own flaws but its not one that will deter you. As a matter of fact, I believe it makes the story more raw and a tad angsty and exciting.
Profile Image for Büşra Bal.
107 reviews56 followers
October 26, 2012
Kitabı çok bölük pörçük okumak zorunda kaldım teknik sebeplerden ötürü.3 verdim, Aslında güzeldi ama Tyler ya da Devlin'in hikayesi kadar etkilenmedim ben.

Amanda korsan babası tarafından yetiştirilmiş hafif vahşi bir kız, kitabın başlarında babası asılmak üzere,Amanda babasını kurtarmak için öldürme emrini veren adamın odasını basıyor ki Cliff de orda,ilk kez o zaman karşılaşıyorlar. Kız adama sayıp söverken Cliff araya giriyor.Neyse kız bakıyor ki zorbalıkla olmuyor adama birlikte olmayı teklif ediyor.

Tam iş gerçekleşecekken Cliff odaya dalıp kızı ordan çıkarıyor. (Amanda'nın sorunlarını çözmek için önüne gelene kendini sunmak gibi gereksiz bir huyu var,aynı teklifi Cliff'e de yapıyor.)

Neyse baba öldürülmeden önce kıza annesinin yanına gitmesini söylüyor,De Warren adam gibi adamdır seni korur ona güven falan diyor.Ve babası öldürülüyor. Amanda da Cliff'e gidip yardım istiyor.Cliff kızı annesine götürmek üzere sahipleniyor,gemi yolculuğu esnasında da aralarında bir yakınlaşma başlıyor. Cliff uzak durmaya çalışıyor ama ne faide.Zaten kız dünden razı adamı kışkırtmalar,kendisini istemiyor diye üstüne yürüyüp düello yapmalar falan.

Dediğim kitap güzeldi,bence sıkıntı başların çok uzun tutulması, yada ben parça parça okuduğumdan bana öyle geldi. Gene de Cliff benim gözümde bir Devlin değil yani. Söylemeden geçemeyeceğim Cliff'in veletleri çok sevimli, hele kıza bayıldım :D Alexi'nin de kitabı varmış zaten, merak ediyorum onu da :D
Profile Image for Lisa Sellin.
23 reviews2 followers
June 9, 2016
Efter den gräsliga boken där allting gick dåligt kände jag för att läsa något som garanterat slutar lyckligt och haffade denna bok i kiosken på tågstationen i Östersund. Den svenska titeln var mer spännande: "Piratens dotter". Gillar man bultande lemmar och styva bröstvårtor i en historisk miljö och kan tänka sig att ta av genusglasögonen för en stund så funkar den. Man vet vad man får och hur det ska sluta.
Profile Image for Carey’s Reviews.
629 reviews28 followers
November 19, 2014
One of my favorite books!! I loved this book-beginning to end!!! Definitely worth reading!!
Profile Image for Shivani Singh.
Author 4 books24 followers
October 13, 2024
It was five stars throughout. Towards the end it veered into four star territory but I decided to forgive the botched up ending.

Brenda Joyce has a problem in creating that high crescendo. That big explosion towards the ending.

There was too much going on. The heroine’s meeting with her mother. Quite pointless. It achieved nothing. It would have been better if the heroine caught the mother being the bitch she was somewhere in the middle of the story.

But no. There was a meeting. Meaningless to the whole plot. A sort of filler of pages. Irritated me.

The heroine running away. Again unnecessary. I can’t blame the author totally. She wasn’t guided by her preliminary readers and editors.

Ok. Now the story.

The hero is the son of an Earl but since he is the youngest he ran away to sea and made his fortune there. At age 14 no less. He is a merchant and a privateer.

The heroine is the daughter of a pirate who is going to hang.

She goes to persuade the governor to forgive her father offering herself as a one night stand. She is a child almost. Very young. Hero rescues her from the governor’s clutches.

The father is uncouth. Rough. He’s left the child to her devices and she has grown up swimming and boating in the sea in Jamaica. She begs borrows steals when the father is away. Almost a street urchin.

She’s tremendously beautiful.

Anyway the hero rescues her at the hanging once again. Gives her father a burial. Takes her to give her to her mother in London.

Hero has two children from two previous mistresses. He adores the children. He has no illusions about himself. He never intends to get married.

There is immense attraction between him and the waif. He has sympathy and compassion for her and realises that if she is to be accepted by her mother she should be a bit more lady like.

He begins teaching her. The tutor of his children teaches her to read and write. The maid teaches to wear a dress. To dance. So on.

They reach England after adventures. (A storm). The mother of the girl is a first class nymphomaniac and narcissistic slut. She refuses to take the child. She hits on the hero but she has done that before too. He already knew she’s horrible but still tried to see if she had maternal feelings.

The hero declares he is heroine’s guardian. Decides to launch her in society and get her married. He endows her with a dowry.

They both are madly in love. By the end hero acknowledges it and they get married.

Except for the ending I loved the book. It had the shades of the forbidden which I admit is a weakness for me.

That’s my review. If you like this author go ahead and read. This is one of her good ones.
Profile Image for Katherine 黄爱芬.
2,420 reviews291 followers
June 21, 2018
Cliff de Warenne adalah gentleman sejati. Dirinya tidak akan memanipulasi gadis tidak berdosa seperti Amanda Carre yg lugu, walaupun betapa pesona si gadis benar-benar membuat Cliff kewalahan dan kelimpungan.

Sepeninggal ayahnya yang mati digantung di kepulauan di Jamaika, Amanda harus membiasakan dirinya di bawah perwalian Cliff. Amanda sudah digambarkan sbg gadis mandiri dan tidak terbiasa menerima kebaikan orang lain secara gratis. Berkali-kali Amanda menawarkan keperawanannya kepada Cliff sbg ganti pembayaran selama Cliff mengurus Amanda supaya mencapai tujuannya, sbg Lady di London. Cliff sebenarnya sudah kepincut dan sadar bhw pertahanan dirinya sudah sering nyaris lolos dan tergoda pada tawaran Amanda yg menyodorkan tubuhnya yg menggiurkan. Tetapi Cliff selalu kembali teguh dan menjaga kehormatan Amanda.

Tarik ulur hubungan Cliff dan Amanda sangat menarik dan tidak membosankan, walaupun banyak angst, tetapi (entah mungkin) saya sudah menyukai karakter Amanda yg berani dan mandiri sejak awal. Juga kemauan keras Amanda utk belajar membaca dan menjadi Lady yang mumpuni saya acungi jempol. Justru Cliff yang agak menyebalkan menurut saya, walaupun super gentleman. Cliff ini keras kepala tidak mau menikah dgn siapapun, bukan krn Amanda itu bukan lady maupun papa. Tetapi Cliff menolak semua daftar bujangan berpotensi utk menjadi suami Amanda, termasuk yang terang-terangan mendekati Amanda. Gimana sih Cliff?

Saya suka kedua H/H ini yang tegas terhadap Dulcea Belford (ibu kandung Amanda) yang materialistis dan jalang, yang otaknya isinya penuh kalkulasi, dan mereka menembak tepat ke sasaran dgn penolakan tegas dan tanpa ampun utk tidak menuruti manipulasi penuh tipuan ala Dulcea.

Walaupun klimaks di ending agak-agak drama, tetapi saya cukup puas. Paling tidak karakter Cliff dan Amanda konsisten. Dan walaupun si Cliff rada telmi saat menyadari dirinya cinta pada Amanda, tetapi dia tidak gengsi utk mengakui bhw dirinya salah dan menginginkan Amanda utk selamanya. UHUUUUIIII!!!!
Profile Image for La Bruja Lectora (Tata).
190 reviews17 followers
February 1, 2023
Reseña Completa: https://labrujalectora1.blogspot.com/...

Esta historia no comenzó bien para mi, pues la protagonista recibía agresiones por parte de su padre, pero una vez que supero esa etapa, y comenzó su viaje a Londres la novela tuvo un giro bastante bonito y tradicional.

Amanda es una chica salvaje que vive en Jamaica con su padre John Carre, quien es ajusticiado por piratería, dejando a Amanda sola en el mundo, desesperada decide acudir a su amor platónico el cual por años ha estado observando desde la distancia, Cliff de Warenne.

Cliff es el típico soltero comerciante y dueño de varios corsarios que tiene como residencia Jamanica, él en una visita al alcalde se entera de que John Carre será ahorcado en unos días.

Así comienza esta historia entre rechazos y retos Cliff y Amanda se entregan a un amor casi imposible.

Profile Image for Lisa.
247 reviews
December 17, 2013
Issu de la série des « De Warenne », Lady Flibuste en est en fait le 4ème tome, mais on peut tout à fait le lire indépendamment des autres ou dans un autre ordre. Enfin de présume… Même en ayant les autres dans ma PAL je n’ai pas senti de soucis particulier en commençant par celui-ci.
Nous avons ici une histoire sur fond de piraterie (un léger fond hein, n’imaginez pas embarquer pour une histoire pleine de combats entre pirates et corsaires !) avec comme point de départ de la romance un élément qui m’a, je l’avoue, intéressé et intrigué dès le départ, c’est-à-dire une histoire d’amour entre une toute jeune fille de 17 ans et un homme plus âgé (enfin… il n’a même pas 30 ans hein !). Ah… mon fantasme d’adolescente… Rencontrer un home beau et viril, incarnant la protection et la passion… Bref, c’est un thème que j’aime beaucoup (encore aujourd’hui alors que je n’ai plus 17 ans ! bizarre…).
Cette toute jeune fille donc, Amanda Carre dite « la Sauvage », vient demander avec désespoir l’acquittement de son père auprès du gouverneur qui s’apprête à le faire pendre pour actes de piraterie. Abandonnée par sa mère et n’ayant que son père pour s’occuper d’elle, elle est prête à toutes les extrémités pour plaider sa cause. Elle ira jusqu’à proposer ses faveurs au gouverneur pour empêcher la pendaison. Mais la présence le jour même du capitaine Cliff de Warenne dans le bureau du gouverneur va mettre son plan en péril. De libertin notoire, Cliff va se retrouver protecteur d’Amanda poussé par le besoin de la mettre en sécurité et par cette irrésistible et incommodante attirance qui l’empêche de s’éloigner de la jeune fille.
Alors oui, j’aime ces histoires romanesques où l’héroïne est jeune (dans la limite du raisonnable bien sûr et en rapport avec un contexte historique précis !) et naïve, et qui finit par s’éprendre du bel et expérimenté héros. Loin d’accepter son attirance, Cliff la combattra même, car il est plutôt de nature à être attiré par les femmes plus mûres (God bless the romances !!) et distinguées. Cette lutte incessante qu’il mènera pour l’empêcher de mettre la jeune et belle Amanda dans son lit est très agréable à lire. On suit ses questionnements, ses faiblesses et parfois sa raison sera noyée dans les tourments de son désir pour elle.
Au fil des pages, nous découvrons cet amour qui naît, grandit mais reste impossible. L’honneur et le devoir qui habitent Cliff seront autant de barrières qui l’empêcheront de déclarer sa flamme. Amanda, qui ne connaît rien à l’amour et qui ne voit son salut qu’en devenant la maîtresse de son bienfaiteur tentera par tous les moyens de s’inviter dans son lit. Le pauvre Cliff aura bien du mal à se retenir face à ses avances…
Afin de lui permettre de retrouver sa mère, cette femme qui l’a « laissée » à son père lorsqu’elle n’était encore qu’une toute petite fille, Cliff fera tout pour transformer Amanda en la jeune fille distinguée et bien née qu’elle est en droit d’être. Et c’est ce qui m’a le plus gêné dans l’histoire… Cette volonté que tous auront, Amanda elle-même, de la changer complètement, de faire de la «Sauvage » une jeune femme digne de la bonne Société londonienne. Ayant vécu ses 17 premières années avec son père, à bord d’un bateau pirate avec tout ce que cela implique, elle s’est forgé un caractère bien trempé, avec une capacité à la navigation et au combat au-dessus de celle de certains hommes. Je n’ai pas trop compris cette détermination de la rendre quelqu’un d’autre, une petite chose fragile, comme si un homme comme Cliff ne pourrait céder qu’à une jeune femme aux manières aristocratiques. Pour le romantisme on repassera donc…
Mais malgré cela, cette histoire se lit avec beaucoup de plaisir. J’ai du coup très envie de sortir les autres tomes de cette série de ma PAL.
Profile Image for HÜLYA.
1,138 reviews47 followers
February 16, 2013

Orjinal Adı A Lady At Last Olan Aşka Yelken Açanların Goodreads puanı 5/4,04 Benim 5/5 Kitabı okurken ayaklarım yerden kesildi.Bu kadin harika yazıyor. Aska Yelken Açanlar tam da ismine uygun bir konusu olan bir roman idi

De Warren erkeklerinin en kücük ele avucu sıgmaz oglu Cliff De Warren'in hikayesi idi..
Jamaika adalarından Korsan kızı Amanda Carre Cliff'in hayatına fırtına gibi girdi. Girdigi andan itibaren ikilinin arasindakı olaylar hızını hiç yitirmeden devam etti.

Amanda Cliff'in hayatına giren diger kadınlara benzemiyordu. Egitimsiz ve cok genç kurt denizci icin cok deneyimsizdi. Ama çok cesaretli ve kural tanımaz bir genç kızdı..

Eski donanmacı subayı olan babasının tek kızı idi.Babasından başka kimsesi yoktu..Annesini hiç bilmiyordu..Aslında asil bir kadın olan annesinin terk ettiği gayrimeşru bir çocuk idi..Babası gerçeği ondan üzülmemesi için saklamıştı..Ama gel gelelim işler planlandığı gibi gitmez bir suçtan mahkum olmuştur ve asılmak üzeredir..

Babasının asılmasını önlemek icın Koloninin valisine giden Amanda orada Cliff De Warren ile karşılaşır..Önceleri ufak bir kız sandığı Amanda'nın bir genç kız olduğunu farketmek ondan etkilenmek Cliff gibi howarda için alışılmış şey değildi..Ama genç kızın yapmak üzere olduğu şeyi önlese de kızın geleceği yine de şüpheli idi..

Amanda'nın babasının asıldığı sahne çok dokunaklı idi.Cliff eski dostuna kızını korutup kollayacağına söz vermişti..Plan basitti Amanda'yı İngiltere'de yaşayan annesinin yanına götürecek ona teslim edecekti..Ama plnlar tutmaz Amanda ile birlikte yaptıkları yolculuk güzel olduğu kadar tehlikeli idi ..Çünkü aralarındaki cekim gittikçe artarak devam ederken arkadasi olan Carre'ye onu koruyacagına dair söz vermesi isin rengini degistiriyordu..

Birlikte fırtınalara bile göğüs gerdiler korsan kızı olan bu vahşi genç kız için gemicilik çocuk oyuncağı idi..Ama İngiltere'deki sosyeteye ve annesinin karşısına çıkmak için tabii ki yeterli değildi..

Yazarin kalemi müthis idi. Hikayenin anlatimı,cevirisini cok begendim kitap akıyordu.De Warren erkeklerinin sevdikleri zaman neler yapabileceği ünlü inatları ve amansızlıkları Cliff'tede vardı..Bazı sahneleri bana Judith Mcnaught'un Sonsuza Kadar kitabını anımsattı..Amanda'yı evlendirmek için liste halinde hazırlanan taliplar Cliff'in bunu beğenmemesi ve taliplarden deli gibi kıskanması aklıma Jason'ı getirdi ister istemez..

Pegasus Yayinlarina cok tesekkürler bu kadar basarılı bir ceviri ile bize kitabi sundugu icin.
Son zamanlardaki en basarili historical romanlarından idi. Yazari hala okumadısaniz cok sey kaciriyorsunuz.

Kitap da gelecek hikayenin kahramanlarıda Rex De Warren ile Karizmatik Tyrell De Warren'in eski nisanlisi Blance Carrinton arasinda olacak gibi.
Umarım o hikayeyi arası fazla acilmadan okuruz.
Okuyacak olanlara simdiden keyifli okumalar.

Profile Image for Christina.
1,620 reviews
September 6, 2016
I enjoyed the opening of this book. The unique island setting in Jamaica 1820s, the background on the heroine as the daughter of a pirate and the hero, a privateer rake (almost all historical romance heroes are rakes) who is a single father of two children by mistresses suggested that this novel had some originality relative to the typical historical romance. But as the plot progressed, it fell into a typical formula.
The purple prose was distracting and had me rolling my eyes, the love scenes were cliched and the author kept repeating the same few words and phrases to describe the hero's lust (I lost count of the number of times he's referred to as "virile".)
The plot was okay, but suffered from a weak conflict to sustain the story. The heroine essentially has no romantic conflict through most of the novel, unless you count a feeling that she's not good enough to marry him. The plot mainly relies on the hero's conflict, which is at first that she's too young (she's 17-18, he's 28--but in 1820 that age difference would be normal). Later, his conflict is he doesn't want to marry because he doesn't need to, which at that point is too hard to buy into.
After a while, I just lost my investment in the characters as they seemed stuck in a cycle. She seduces him, he almost loses control but doesn't, he distances himself for her own good but without explanation, she's hurt. And repeat. The last part of the novel seemed driven by the worst kind of conflict, one that could have been resolved with a brief conversation.
I'd consider reading another novel by Joyce, but this novel didn't leave me eager to do so.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Randyy.
50 reviews2 followers
January 13, 2011
Amanda Carre is an unruly and wild daughter of a pirate that is now being hanged for piracy. She is besides herself with grief and doesn't know what to do so comes up with many plots to exonerate her father and she will do anything to see to his freedom. But that anything ends her in the arms and the responsibility of Cliff De Warrene, a nobleman/privateer.

I loved this book! Cliff de Warrene is absolutely the perfect prince charming/gentleman even though in the book it states many times that he was a rogue. Still this book was executed perfectly by BJ. If you're one for hot and heavy sex on every other page, well then this romance isn't for you since its really all about denial and chase and you barely get a kiss after 100 pages into the book since Cliff is nothing but honorable in his goal and intentions. I really liked that it wasn't like a lot of other HR books where the man immediately jumps on a protesting woman and seduces her wills. This book was really just more realistic in that the hero and heroine took so long to get to know each other and the audience truly felt they knew each other by the end of the book before they finally got together. Great! Great, over and over type of read.
Profile Image for Patricia’s Book Summaries.
855 reviews26 followers
Read
October 13, 2020
The writing was quite boring, and I had to jump to the climax in order to really get into the story. I have found that when summaries mention jealousy, there is usually not as much as I would have liked, and it is usually not written that well. This has not proved to be the exception.

Girl's father is about to be hanged. She tries everything, but her father still dies. A gentleman helps her go to England from Jamaica to see her mother. However, her mother is horrid. He decides to introduce her into society himself. During the entire thing, he is conflicted because they want to bed each other but she must remain pure in order to be accepted into society. The family uses their power and influence to squash rumors that she is a pirate's daughter. She works hard to become elegant and poise for her coming out. In the end, the male lead realizes his love for her. He chases after her and marries her on his ship. The story ends with people thinking it is impossible that she is a pirate's daughter because of her beauty and elegance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Amanda.
51 reviews2 followers
March 13, 2008
This book is a historical romance novel. Brenda Joyce simply outdid herself with "A Lady At Last"!

Poor, little, vulnerable Amanda Carre has lost her father after he was sentenced to be hung. Her only hope of survival now, in a town that is completely filled with rogues, is a high-regarded, wealthy, handsome privateer named Cliff de Warenne. Amanda's childhood was filled with nothing but violence and theivery, growing up at her father's side. However now, as she must travel side-by-side with Cliff, she must now learn to become an etiquette lady. Not by herself, but with Cliff there to help her. As days go by, they find themselves dangerously yearning for each other and growing to respect new aspects of life.

I recommend this book because I think it is one of the sweetest books I have ever read. If you are one who endears romance, history, and/or romantic history, you should most definitely read this book.
Profile Image for NhaughtyV says Damn the Zon Save the Reviews .
1,289 reviews194 followers
October 9, 2012
This book reminded me why I love historical romance so much, and made me wonder what took me so long to read one again.

Cliff and Amanda's story...I just couldn't get enought. Amanda has been raised since she was 4 years old by her pirate father, who has been caught and scheduled to hang. Desperate to save her father, she offers the governor her body in exchange for her father's life. Cliff de Warenne is a powerful and rich privateer who has watched Amanda grow up on the islands and saves her before she can barter her body. Their story is like a fairy tale...

I don't want to give too much away, but if you luvs historical romances and Happily Ever Afters, I highly recommand this one!! I'm going back to try to read the others in this series!
Profile Image for Heather.
926 reviews
January 4, 2013
it's been a really long time since i've read this, but i remember being irritated at the fact that the girl acted like a child what with the constantly wanting to impress the guy and seeking his approval. it's pretty pathetic.
&i absolutely hated that the guy was married before-and had kids! ugh! that's the worst. i didn't care for that at all.and the whole "married to a princess" thing just seemed a little unrealistic and irrevalent for the story. i mean, what significance did his wife being a princess have on the story?
while a blushing guy can be sweet sometimes, and its so rarely done, in here cliff just came off as less manly because he was blushing all the time.
Profile Image for Marla'dan Alıntılar.
363 reviews50 followers
June 24, 2019
The DeWarenne Dynasty serisinin okunma sırası:
1. Gönülçelen
2. Gülün Sözü
3. Oyun
4. Bir Avuç Aşk
5. Maskeli Balo
6. Kaçak Gelin
7. Aşka Yelken Açanlar
8. Kusursuz Gelin
9. Tehlikeli Aşk
10. İmkansız Aşk
11. Yemin

Kitabın büyük çoğunluğu denizlerde geçiyor. 2018 Popsugar Reading Challenge etkinliğinde denizde geçen kitap kategorisine kitap bulamamıştım. Aklıma gelseydi Aşka Yelken Açanlar’ı okurdum.

Kitapta Cliff’in aşka düşüşünü okuyoruz. Cliff zaten seride sevdiğim karakterlerden biriydi. Onu okumak da güzeldi.

https://suleuzundere.blogspot.com/201...
Profile Image for Danae.
173 reviews10 followers
February 4, 2013
Disliked the repetitive use of language like 'pulsing loins','engorged manhood', '...she wept/sobbed/cried...(while having the big O). The introduction of one of the hero's former paramours as a princess is quite extraneous to the story. The plot had potential but its treatment felt hackneyed. This is my first Brenda Joyce and I'm unimpressed.
Profile Image for Calisto.
406 reviews36 followers
Read
November 25, 2014
The first chapter read like an old skool bodice ripper, tbh, I wanted to stop there but kept going until chapter four. Then I skipped to the last chapter and felt like I hadn't missed anything. Characters did nothing for me and the heroine was borderline annoying. Blegh.
Profile Image for Tabatha García.
Author 1 book22 followers
Read
March 27, 2023
Realmente no se que decirles, al principio no cuadro para mi esta historia, la protagonista sufre de violencia de genero por manos de su papa, aparte de otras cosas que posee esta historia que no calaron en mi, sin embargo puedo decir que al final remonto, y tuvo un final predecible y bonito.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.