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Traitor's Kiss
Loyal To His LustThere was only one way Rhys Winghurst knew of to relieve the pressure of his latest undercover assignment a romp in the hay with a beautiful lady. The red-blooded male was impressed when the innkeeper sent up the voluptuous lightskirt, but when he crushed her lips and fondled her curves, his passion was unexpectedly ignited as never before! The skillful captain showed the young wench the myriad ways of pleasure then showed her the door. But Rhys never figured that the memories of rapture would haunt him nor that he'd need that one incredible woman by his side to successfully fulfill his mission.True To Her HeartSpirited Calypso Collingworth didn't expect more than an aching back and injured pride during her one-night masquerade as a tavern's serving girl. But when she was sent to "serve" the Captain in Room Nine, the innocent redhead never thought her work included unmentionable intimacies...nor that the gentleman would be the tall, dark hero of her dreams! Calypso struggled with the handsome stranger even as her silken flesh begged for his touch. Then when she suffered his callous disregard only moments after such glorious ecstasy, the hot-tempered miss vowed she'd wreak vengeance on the humiliating cad for his insincere whispers and his Traitor's Kiss
- GenresRomance
415 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 20, 2021
This review is of “Traitor’s Kiss”, a standalone by Terri Valentine.
The book starts in the Bahamas, circa 1784. (The book spans just over seven years, from 1784 to 1791). Calypso Collingsworth, the heroine of the book, is caught reading a-gasp!, shudder!-romance novel by her evil older brother, Evan. Evan blackmails Calypso into working as a serving wench at a tavern to allow him to have an assignation with the waitress Calypso is to replace for the night. While at the tavern, Calypso is told to “warm the bed” of the patron in the room. That person is Lord Rhys Winghusrt, Earl of Flint and the hero of the book. Calypso discovers that she and Rhys have differing views of what “warming the bed” means, and they have sex.
Nine months later, Calypso is pregnant and on the verge of giving birth to the baby conceived during her encounter with Rhys. At the same time, Calypso and Evan’s mother, Cathleen, is also giving birth. Sadly, Cathleen’s baby is stillborn. In rage and anger, Cathleen’s husband and Calypso and Evan’s father, Lord John Collingsworth, hatches a cruel plan. He tells Calypso that her son-who was born alive-is dead and claims the boy as his and Cathleen’s son.
Fast forward six years. John tries to push Calypso into a marriage and invites four men to his estate as potential husbands for her. Among the men: Rhys, who at that time doesn’t recognize Calypso. (He will remember later). In part because of this, Calypso tries to get revenge on Rhys; this backfires, and she is arrested and accused of being a spy. Rhys rescues her and also discovers that he is Tristan’s father. After this discovery, Rhys takes Calypso and Tristan to America-Philadelphia to be specific-where he plans to marry her and tries to stop a plot that, if not halted, could change the course of American history. (Although Rhys was born in the U.K.-Wales to be exact-and is a peer of the realm, he is, by choice and heart, an American).
In Philadelphia, Calypso and Rhys marry; however, Rhys soon takes Tristan and goes to Wales, in part to introduce Tristan to his heritage and in part out of anger over what Rhys sees as Calypso’s intransigence over her refusal to acknowledge Tristan’s maternal parentage. Upon hearing where they’ve gone, Calypso arranges a trip to Wales. Big mistake, as the ship’s captain she hired plans to sell her to an African harem. Calypso escapes by telling the captain that Rhys will pay a hefty ransom for her. He doesn’t have to, as the evil captain is arrested once they reach England. Calypso, Rhys and Tristan reunite, and she discovers who is the mastermind of the evil plot mentioned above.
Calypso and Rhys foil the plot; however, this comes at a heavy cost to both of them. In the end, Rhys gives up his title to stay in America with Calypso and Tristan, and the family have their Happily Ever After.
Upside: Calypso and Rhys are both fairly strong characters. Calypso has to deal with emotional abuse from all the males in her life, including Rhys, but manages to come out okay.
I didn’t like Rhys at first--he was a bit of an unfeeling jerk-but grew to like him more as the book went on. I also liked the fact that, once he found out that Tristan was his son, he loved him immediately and didn’t use him as a pawn in his relationship with Calypso much, although that does happen to an extent.
Downside: There is a noticeable lack of depth to Calypso and Rhys. Although Ms. Valentine made me believe that Calypso and Rhys loved each other, there wasn’t a lot of hot passion between them. The ending of the book could have been more exciting.
Sex: The love scenes between Calypso and Rhys are fairly tame. Heat level: pretty lukewarm.
Violence: Two characters are killed, neither completely on-screen. No graphic violence.
Bottom Line: “Traitor’s Kiss” is a good book, but simply lacks the passion and juice to be a great book.
The book starts in the Bahamas, circa 1784. (The book spans just over seven years, from 1784 to 1791). Calypso Collingsworth, the heroine of the book, is caught reading a-gasp!, shudder!-romance novel by her evil older brother, Evan. Evan blackmails Calypso into working as a serving wench at a tavern to allow him to have an assignation with the waitress Calypso is to replace for the night. While at the tavern, Calypso is told to “warm the bed” of the patron in the room. That person is Lord Rhys Winghusrt, Earl of Flint and the hero of the book. Calypso discovers that she and Rhys have differing views of what “warming the bed” means, and they have sex.
Nine months later, Calypso is pregnant and on the verge of giving birth to the baby conceived during her encounter with Rhys. At the same time, Calypso and Evan’s mother, Cathleen, is also giving birth. Sadly, Cathleen’s baby is stillborn. In rage and anger, Cathleen’s husband and Calypso and Evan’s father, Lord John Collingsworth, hatches a cruel plan. He tells Calypso that her son-who was born alive-is dead and claims the boy as his and Cathleen’s son.
Fast forward six years. John tries to push Calypso into a marriage and invites four men to his estate as potential husbands for her. Among the men: Rhys, who at that time doesn’t recognize Calypso. (He will remember later). In part because of this, Calypso tries to get revenge on Rhys; this backfires, and she is arrested and accused of being a spy. Rhys rescues her and also discovers that he is Tristan’s father. After this discovery, Rhys takes Calypso and Tristan to America-Philadelphia to be specific-where he plans to marry her and tries to stop a plot that, if not halted, could change the course of American history. (Although Rhys was born in the U.K.-Wales to be exact-and is a peer of the realm, he is, by choice and heart, an American).
In Philadelphia, Calypso and Rhys marry; however, Rhys soon takes Tristan and goes to Wales, in part to introduce Tristan to his heritage and in part out of anger over what Rhys sees as Calypso’s intransigence over her refusal to acknowledge Tristan’s maternal parentage. Upon hearing where they’ve gone, Calypso arranges a trip to Wales. Big mistake, as the ship’s captain she hired plans to sell her to an African harem. Calypso escapes by telling the captain that Rhys will pay a hefty ransom for her. He doesn’t have to, as the evil captain is arrested once they reach England. Calypso, Rhys and Tristan reunite, and she discovers who is the mastermind of the evil plot mentioned above.
Calypso and Rhys foil the plot; however, this comes at a heavy cost to both of them. In the end, Rhys gives up his title to stay in America with Calypso and Tristan, and the family have their Happily Ever After.
Upside: Calypso and Rhys are both fairly strong characters. Calypso has to deal with emotional abuse from all the males in her life, including Rhys, but manages to come out okay.
I didn’t like Rhys at first--he was a bit of an unfeeling jerk-but grew to like him more as the book went on. I also liked the fact that, once he found out that Tristan was his son, he loved him immediately and didn’t use him as a pawn in his relationship with Calypso much, although that does happen to an extent.
Downside: There is a noticeable lack of depth to Calypso and Rhys. Although Ms. Valentine made me believe that Calypso and Rhys loved each other, there wasn’t a lot of hot passion between them. The ending of the book could have been more exciting.
Sex: The love scenes between Calypso and Rhys are fairly tame. Heat level: pretty lukewarm.
Violence: Two characters are killed, neither completely on-screen. No graphic violence.
Bottom Line: “Traitor’s Kiss” is a good book, but simply lacks the passion and juice to be a great book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review