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Rebel Heart
A boy's gameFrom the time he was a young boy playing in the swamps of Louisiana, Jason Montgomery knew one He would someday claim the beautiful Desiree as his bride. No matter that she lived on the massive plantation called Whispering Oaks and that he was no matter that her family would never agree to their union or that she didn't even know that he existed. Jason vowed that he would take her in his arms and kiss her raven hair; taste her creamy flesh and make her surrender to his forbidden love...A woman's longingFrom the moment she stepped into the ballroom, Desiree felt her eyes drawn to the magnetic gaze of one Captain Jason Montgomery. She had heard tales of this daring rouge and of his womanizing reputation and knew she should fear him and keep her distance. But when Jason gathered her into his strong embrace and swept her to the dance floor, Desiree knew something else - a feeling of fire burning through her veins, a passion mounting deep within her, making her blind to everything other than the wild beating of her own rebel heart.
492 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1986
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 1, 2018
This was sexy old school bodice ripper with a heroine that can give Scarlet O' Hara a run for her money and a H who is a billion times hotter than Rhett Butler. I loved Jason ! He was the poor half Cajun boy who grew to become a respected and wealthy officer in the Union army. Desiree was the girl he used to fantasize about from the first time he was a puberty ridden adolescent and he saw her racing along on her horse, with her lush raven colored locks blowing in the wind. This novel hit all the right buttons in my old fashioned romantic soul.
Jason was the ideal H, with his sexy green eyes and his magnificent body. He really loved the spoilt and whiny Desiree. She did irritate me quite a bit until the ravages and poverty of the Civil War forced her to become a more mature and less selfish young lady. But at the beginning she is a beautiful, vain, spoilt and superficial Louisiana southern belle with a "Mammy" that adores her. That part was very stereotypical. She had met Jason only once before when she was a little girl and he was an adolescent Cajun boy living in the bayou adjacent to her father's plantation. Even then she had been intrigued by the handsome young lad with the mesmerizing green eyes.
They meet years later when her life is in ruins and Jason is a spy for the Union army. Circumstances conspire to force them together and their sex scenes are superb and sizzling hot ! Jason was so masterful as a lover, in true bodice ripper fashion. Jason still had his crush on her and soon it grows into love. I found it a bit one sided at first because Jason loved her long before she grew to love him. They are separated for a while because of Jason's job in the army and Desiree's big mouth gets her in trouble with General Butler's soldiers because she breaks the infamous law vis a vis southern women being rude to Union soldiers. She is almost arrested and almost forced into a sexual relationship with a lecherous union soldier who is Jason's superior in the army but the gallant Jason arrives in time to save his beloved.
The story is filled with lots of ups and downs, as befitting a civil war historical romance and Desiree's dead fiance even returns alive and tries to make trouble but the MC's are married by this time. Jason is badly wounded in the war and the doctors had wanted to amputate his leg but Desiree's black "Mammy" uses her knowledge of herbal medicine to help nurse him back to health. It is then that Desiree truly realizes how much she loves him. Desiree also has an unfortunate miscarriage and there's a bit of tension between the MC's because Jason thinks his love is unrequited and the southern belle isn't exactly forthcoming with protestations of verbal love. Their sex life continues to be hot though and the epilogue is beautiful. We are told that both Jason and Desiree live to a grand old age and have beautiful kids and grandchildren too. I loved it !
Jason was the ideal H, with his sexy green eyes and his magnificent body. He really loved the spoilt and whiny Desiree. She did irritate me quite a bit until the ravages and poverty of the Civil War forced her to become a more mature and less selfish young lady. But at the beginning she is a beautiful, vain, spoilt and superficial Louisiana southern belle with a "Mammy" that adores her. That part was very stereotypical. She had met Jason only once before when she was a little girl and he was an adolescent Cajun boy living in the bayou adjacent to her father's plantation. Even then she had been intrigued by the handsome young lad with the mesmerizing green eyes.
They meet years later when her life is in ruins and Jason is a spy for the Union army. Circumstances conspire to force them together and their sex scenes are superb and sizzling hot ! Jason was so masterful as a lover, in true bodice ripper fashion. Jason still had his crush on her and soon it grows into love. I found it a bit one sided at first because Jason loved her long before she grew to love him. They are separated for a while because of Jason's job in the army and Desiree's big mouth gets her in trouble with General Butler's soldiers because she breaks the infamous law vis a vis southern women being rude to Union soldiers. She is almost arrested and almost forced into a sexual relationship with a lecherous union soldier who is Jason's superior in the army but the gallant Jason arrives in time to save his beloved.
The story is filled with lots of ups and downs, as befitting a civil war historical romance and Desiree's dead fiance even returns alive and tries to make trouble but the MC's are married by this time. Jason is badly wounded in the war and the doctors had wanted to amputate his leg but Desiree's black "Mammy" uses her knowledge of herbal medicine to help nurse him back to health. It is then that Desiree truly realizes how much she loves him. Desiree also has an unfortunate miscarriage and there's a bit of tension between the MC's because Jason thinks his love is unrequited and the southern belle isn't exactly forthcoming with protestations of verbal love. Their sex life continues to be hot though and the epilogue is beautiful. We are told that both Jason and Desiree live to a grand old age and have beautiful kids and grandchildren too. I loved it !
April 15, 2021
The gods of fate smiled down on them, proud of their labor. They knew that nothing good came from hasty labor. Perfection took time. Patient and diligently, they had built this link between two souls, molding it and shaping it, forging it with trials and tribulations, tempering it with pain and anguish, until it was a link so strong and powerful that nothing in heaven, hell-or anything in between-could ever break it.
I am not crying. Your crying. Okay, Whoo. That was a bit of a wild ride.
I do know one thing: a hundred times over, this book can’t be compared to Gone With The Wind. It is all by itself.
Desiree, is a female herione that would make Scarlett O’Hara scream in frustration. I found her so fierce and loyal. She is hardworking and passionate. I cannot tell you how much I love her.
Jason Montgomery would make Rhett Butler not even want to say “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.” He is strong and brave. His pride and grace is what makes him a man in the eyes of Desiree. He is a true hero.
Remember Scarlett O’Hara hated the Yankee’s and nursing the wounded men? Desiree doesn’t. She nurses both Union and Confederate soldiers. She even rides through enemy battle lines just to bring her wounded husband home.
Suddenly Desiree was ash end of herself. She had come to nurse the Confederate wounded, not once giving a though to the Union wounded. Now, looking over the scene before her, she realized that the wounded and dying wore no uniforms. They were simply human beings in pain. No, in this room another battle was being fought, one even more ancient than war: the age-old battle of man to prevail over suffering and death. And she wanted to be apart of it.
Desiree finds it hard to love Jason: he is a Yankee. She doesn’t even know if he loves her. I was so glad to watch them work out their relationship together-unlike Scarlett and Rhett.
The war takes place in the South in New Orleans. Desiree lives there after she has no place to turn to, and she comes to marry Jason after she is forced to become a mans mistress due to violating a law.
The cast of characters is really diverse and amazing. You feel like you also know them as well.
Eventually, the war comes to a close. Jason and Desiree fall in love all over again. And we come to see a epilogue, where they are still together, even in old age.
This is a very good book. I won’t forget it.
I am not crying. Your crying. Okay, Whoo. That was a bit of a wild ride.
I do know one thing: a hundred times over, this book can’t be compared to Gone With The Wind. It is all by itself.
Desiree, is a female herione that would make Scarlett O’Hara scream in frustration. I found her so fierce and loyal. She is hardworking and passionate. I cannot tell you how much I love her.
Jason Montgomery would make Rhett Butler not even want to say “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.” He is strong and brave. His pride and grace is what makes him a man in the eyes of Desiree. He is a true hero.
Remember Scarlett O’Hara hated the Yankee’s and nursing the wounded men? Desiree doesn’t. She nurses both Union and Confederate soldiers. She even rides through enemy battle lines just to bring her wounded husband home.
Suddenly Desiree was ash end of herself. She had come to nurse the Confederate wounded, not once giving a though to the Union wounded. Now, looking over the scene before her, she realized that the wounded and dying wore no uniforms. They were simply human beings in pain. No, in this room another battle was being fought, one even more ancient than war: the age-old battle of man to prevail over suffering and death. And she wanted to be apart of it.
Desiree finds it hard to love Jason: he is a Yankee. She doesn’t even know if he loves her. I was so glad to watch them work out their relationship together-unlike Scarlett and Rhett.
The war takes place in the South in New Orleans. Desiree lives there after she has no place to turn to, and she comes to marry Jason after she is forced to become a mans mistress due to violating a law.
The cast of characters is really diverse and amazing. You feel like you also know them as well.
Eventually, the war comes to a close. Jason and Desiree fall in love all over again. And we come to see a epilogue, where they are still together, even in old age.
This is a very good book. I won’t forget it.
December 11, 2012
This one's my guilty pleasure...
September 15, 2014
This was the first Romance novel I ever read, don't really read them anymore but I will always hold this book in high esteem. Have to get a copy of it again and then I can write a proper review!
December 11, 2023
Ahhh one of the best romance HR I’ve read this year!! Everything about this book tickles me fancy! Though this was written in the 80’s, I swear I’d have thought it was written in recent years (with the exception of N word to describe the black slaves). I wouldn’t categorise the steamy scenes as bodice ripper as the sensual parts were written with romantic undertones and depts that you couldn’t help but to swoon, squeal and blush like a maiden I’m not!
Jason is easily one of the best HR heroes I’ve ever come across admittedly, though not a high bar to climb, as most of 80’s ‘heroes’ are rapist bastards, but he clears the bar easily. He doesn’t epitomise the typical 80’s alpha jerk, whoring hero (there’s no mention of other women at all! Thank Gor for this as I hate OW elements) as he had always been in love with Desiree’ since he first laid eyes on her. Though Desiree’ at first annoyed me, but over the years, the war had slowly matured her and his tempestuous nature had been tampered down a bit.
Be mindful of the fact this book has close to 500 pages, the romance isn’t slow-burn as they did get intimate early one but I love how their true affection for one another had laid root and steadily grown its seed of love over the months they had been married (out of convenience). While they took long to profess love for each other, actions did say things words couldn’t and this part is my most favourite one.
As I’m not an American, it goes without saying that I’m not well versed when it comes to Civil War terminatories but this book has covered a lot of grounds about Yankees and Confederates that I wouldn’t have known from elsewhere.
Please please read this book, I guarantee you won’t regret it!🥰❤️ Easily 5 stars read for me!!
Jason is easily one of the best HR heroes I’ve ever come across admittedly, though not a high bar to climb, as most of 80’s ‘heroes’ are rapist bastards, but he clears the bar easily. He doesn’t epitomise the typical 80’s alpha jerk, whoring hero (there’s no mention of other women at all! Thank Gor for this as I hate OW elements) as he had always been in love with Desiree’ since he first laid eyes on her. Though Desiree’ at first annoyed me, but over the years, the war had slowly matured her and his tempestuous nature had been tampered down a bit.
Be mindful of the fact this book has close to 500 pages, the romance isn’t slow-burn as they did get intimate early one but I love how their true affection for one another had laid root and steadily grown its seed of love over the months they had been married (out of convenience). While they took long to profess love for each other, actions did say things words couldn’t and this part is my most favourite one.
As I’m not an American, it goes without saying that I’m not well versed when it comes to Civil War terminatories but this book has covered a lot of grounds about Yankees and Confederates that I wouldn’t have known from elsewhere.
Please please read this book, I guarantee you won’t regret it!🥰❤️ Easily 5 stars read for me!!
December 19, 2025
This was a heartfelt, touching love story. There was a bit more war content than I usually enjoy, but I was completely engrossed in their lives. The book is all about the hero and heroine, deeply in love with each other, yet afraid to show it for fear that their feelings aren’t returned. I loved that the hero has loved the heroine since childhood—it made their connection feel so genuine.
There are many emotional moments, like the miscarriage and the hero’s wounded leg, but they face these challenges together and ultimately find their happily ever after
There are many emotional moments, like the miscarriage and the hero’s wounded leg, but they face these challenges together and ultimately find their happily ever after
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews