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Dark Torment
In this “spell-binding romance” (Publisher’s Weekly), falsely accused, Irish-born convict Dominic Gallagher is shipped to the Australian Outback, where he is rescued from being beaten to death by Sarah Markham, the plain, no-nonsense, spinster daughter of a sheep baron. Indentured to Sarah’s father, gorgeous, blue-eyed Dominic must do “Miss Sarah’s” bidding even while the two begin to secretly burn with passion for each other. In an epic clash of wills, neither is prepared to give an inch. Then Dominic escapes, taking Sarah with him on a run for his life through the dangers of the Australian outback, and that clash of wills escalates into an explosion of heat as “Miss Sarah” and the dangerous, desperate convict find themselves falling in lust—and love.
404 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1985
124 people are currently reading
934 people want to read
About the author
Karen Robards
135 books3,240 followersKaren Robards is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than fifty books and one novella. She has won multiple awards including six Affaire de Coeur Silver Pen Awards for favorite author.
Karen has been writing since she was very young, and was first published nationally in the December 1973 Reader's Digest. She sold her first romance novel, ISLAND FLAME, when she was 24. It was published by Leisure Books in 1981 and is still in print. After that, she dropped out of law school to pursue her writing career.
Karen was recently described by The Daily Mail as "one of the most reliable thriller....writers in the world."
Karen has been writing since she was very young, and was first published nationally in the December 1973 Reader's Digest. She sold her first romance novel, ISLAND FLAME, when she was 24. It was published by Leisure Books in 1981 and is still in print. After that, she dropped out of law school to pursue her writing career.
Karen was recently described by The Daily Mail as "one of the most reliable thriller....writers in the world."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
December 27, 2025
“Who would have guessed that he, Dominic Gallagher, long addicted to the charms of lushly endowed beauties, veteran of more beds than he could remember, would be so violently attracted to a skinny, bossy, viper-tongued old maid?”
Have you ever found yourself taking more and more furious notes while reading? That’s what happened here. Because this book is exactly what its title promises: torment. Dark Torment. For the main characters—and, unfortunately, for the reader, too.
It’s thelove story of Sarah, a sheep baron’s daughter, and Dominic Gallagher, an Irish convict working on the sheep baron's farm in Australia in 1838. I wish I could call it a “love story”, but it didn’t feel like one. After Sarah’s heroic rescue of Dominic from being beaten to death in a very explicit scene full of brutality, there’s mostly disdain, condescension, impudence, mockery, quarrels, and battles for dominance between them. Both MCs are irredeemably choleric, constantly blurting out insults and regretting them two seconds later. Add to that the fact that they never speak their minds or express their true emotions, so misunderstandings and false assumptions (leading to more hatred) are the norm. As are inner musings, endless inner musings.
Unfortunately for the tortured readers, there’s an undeniable sexual attraction between the two of them. It must be because of Dominic’s blue, blue eyes and his magnificent hairy body. (Ah, the good old days when thick chest pelts, abdominal mats and “the luxuriant black forests of hair beneath each arm” were en vogue!) They claim to be trying to resist the attraction, but they can’t. One touch is enough to trigger uncontrollable desire, causing them to forget any sense of sensibility or survival instinct. So they have naked sex in the kitchen garden during a ball, not far from family and friends, in the wilderness (you could pay me a million, and I still wouldn’t have sex and sleep naked in Australia's outback! Or anywhere else in nature, for that matter), and in Sarah’s home. Of course, as with everything else they do, they regret their great sexual encounters soon after and start hurting each other again. It’s unnerving.
Fans of classic bodice rippers might like this book for the main characters’s “battle of wills”. There’s also a lot going on, you see floggings, arson, a mob attacking the farm, a supposed arranged marriage, a wicked stepmother, a kidnapping (Sarah by Dominic), another kidnapping (Dominic by Sarah), a re-kidnapping (Sarah by Dominic), attempted rape, near-death in a bushfire, a surprising inheritance, etc. Very „exciting”…and mostly moronic.
Their careless behavior concerning their status angered me most. They acted as there were no social barriers, as if she weren’t the mistress of Lowella and he a convict. Dominic’s disrespect toward Sarah is as misplaced as his sexual “assaults”. He’s constantly gambling with his life and never gives it a second thought. You might wonder if he doesn’t care about being hanged or at least flogged again.
Maybe he does care more about sex and his pride because flogging doesn’t bother him that much. I mean, his healing abilities are as impressive as his body hair. After an eight-month transport from England to Australia under the worst conditions, weak and emaciated, he’s almost beaten to death with a cat-o’-nine-tails. Only two weeks later, he’s working in Lowella’s stables, spitting insults at Sarah. Another few weeks later, he’s flogged almost to death again, then left hanging for two days without food or water. He manages to escape, although it’s not clear how, given his condition, and not much later, he’s strong enough to attack Lowella with a bunch of rustlers and abduct Sarah to teach her a lesson. (Splendid idea!) Another few days later, and she can “barely feel the scars”. Huh.
Also worth mentioning: Karen Robards has not only a knack for body hair, but also for run-on sentences:
Let’s put an end to this torment. This book was ridiculous and annoying, and it felt like it was a thousand pages long. The plot was ludicrous, the main characters were outrageous. Seriously, these two people should not be a couple.
1.5
Do you remember my review of “Whispers of Heaven”? It has basically the same plot. I wonder if Candice Proctor read “Dark Torment” and thought, “Wow, that’s an intriguing story. I’m going to rewrite it and do everything better.” She even named her hero “Gallagher” as well. ;)
Have you ever found yourself taking more and more furious notes while reading? That’s what happened here. Because this book is exactly what its title promises: torment. Dark Torment. For the main characters—and, unfortunately, for the reader, too.
It’s the
Unfortunately for the tortured readers, there’s an undeniable sexual attraction between the two of them. It must be because of Dominic’s blue, blue eyes and his magnificent hairy body. (Ah, the good old days when thick chest pelts, abdominal mats and “the luxuriant black forests of hair beneath each arm” were en vogue!) They claim to be trying to resist the attraction, but they can’t. One touch is enough to trigger uncontrollable desire, causing them to forget any sense of sensibility or survival instinct. So they have naked sex in the kitchen garden during a ball, not far from family and friends, in the wilderness (you could pay me a million, and I still wouldn’t have sex and sleep naked in Australia's outback! Or anywhere else in nature, for that matter), and in Sarah’s home. Of course, as with everything else they do, they regret their great sexual encounters soon after and start hurting each other again. It’s unnerving.
Fans of classic bodice rippers might like this book for the main characters’s “battle of wills”. There’s also a lot going on, you see floggings, arson, a mob attacking the farm, a supposed arranged marriage, a wicked stepmother, a kidnapping (Sarah by Dominic), another kidnapping (Dominic by Sarah), a re-kidnapping (Sarah by Dominic), attempted rape, near-death in a bushfire, a surprising inheritance, etc. Very „exciting”…and mostly moronic.
Their careless behavior concerning their status angered me most. They acted as there were no social barriers, as if she weren’t the mistress of Lowella and he a convict. Dominic’s disrespect toward Sarah is as misplaced as his sexual “assaults”. He’s constantly gambling with his life and never gives it a second thought. You might wonder if he doesn’t care about being hanged or at least flogged again.
Maybe he does care more about sex and his pride because flogging doesn’t bother him that much. I mean, his healing abilities are as impressive as his body hair. After an eight-month transport from England to Australia under the worst conditions, weak and emaciated, he’s almost beaten to death with a cat-o’-nine-tails. Only two weeks later, he’s working in Lowella’s stables, spitting insults at Sarah. Another few weeks later, he’s flogged almost to death again, then left hanging for two days without food or water. He manages to escape, although it’s not clear how, given his condition, and not much later, he’s strong enough to attack Lowella with a bunch of rustlers and abduct Sarah to teach her a lesson. (Splendid idea!) Another few days later, and she can “barely feel the scars”. Huh.
Also worth mentioning: Karen Robards has not only a knack for body hair, but also for run-on sentences:
Sarah was no longer conscious of her surroundings; she did not hear the jingle of the stirrups as the horses, trained to stay in place as long as their reins trailed the ground, shuffled their feet impatiently; she did not see the sable-skinned platypus who waddled from the creek, took one look at the naked humans and stamping horses, and promptly waddled back again; she did not feel the penetrating heat of the sun-baked ground through the blanket. She was conscious only of Dominic, of his blue eyes and the waving thickness of his silky, blue-black hair, of his broad, bronzed shoulders and hard-muscled arms and legs roughened by the same curling black hair that grew luxuriantly on his wide chest, and of the way that thick pelt narrowed into an ebony trail down his muscle-ridged abdomen only to widen again around the tangible evidence of his desire.
Let’s put an end to this torment. This book was ridiculous and annoying, and it felt like it was a thousand pages long. The plot was ludicrous, the main characters were outrageous. Seriously, these two people should not be a couple.
1.5
Do you remember my review of “Whispers of Heaven”? It has basically the same plot. I wonder if Candice Proctor read “Dark Torment” and thought, “Wow, that’s an intriguing story. I’m going to rewrite it and do everything better.” She even named her hero “Gallagher” as well. ;)
October 18, 2016
Pride is the rift between lovers
First published in 1985, there is a delightfully retro feel to this 2013 ebook updated with the bare-chested hunk on the cover. It definitely hearkens back to the spitfire historical heroines and the love-hate dynamics made popular by Deveraux, Garwood, Lowell, Woodiwiss and others. I was a little surprised by the many graphic love scenes for a 1985 publication, especially since the purple prose was noticeably absent. This is my first book by Karen Robards.
Events take place in 1838 Australia, in the rural part of New South Wales. Sarah is the daughter of a large sheep station owner, who indentures convicts to work the property. One day, she is at the Melbourne waterfront with the family and interrupts the whipping of an Irish convict, probably saving his life. Turns out, he is bound to Sarah's father. Dominic Gallagher is excessively prideful, as is Sarah. They both also have vicious tempers and tend to speak before they think. Mix pride, hot-headedness and powerful attraction, and things go from simmer to boil pretty quickly between these two. Hanging in the background are subplots related to the toady foreman wanting to marry Sarah, a pretty but spiteful step-sister, and the mystery of Gallagher's past.
Spinster Sarah is plain but competent and kind. She runs the house and the books for the station. "Better an old maid than an unhappy wife, she had decided long ago." The new convict disturbs her, both with his insolence and his handsomeness. It has been a long time since I read a romance where the hero is so prideful that it gets him into trouble. As a personality characteristic of Dominic, it was carried to its farthest extent. He maintains his intractability for the majority of the book, and sometimes that wandered into uncharitable thoughts of the prideful Sarah. The battle of wills between these two was probably the best aspect of the book.
While the happily ever after in Dark Torment is a given, I was very unsure of the path. Particularly troublesome was the toady Percival and his position of power. However, the road to the HEA was also impacted by pride, shame, and impulsiveness on behalf of both Sarah and Dominic, plus their indiscretions were such that the possibility of discovery was high. I just kept thumbing through the book, ignoring sleep, because so many things could affect their future happiness and I wanted to watch these two move from baiting each other to publicly embracing each other in the worst way. I just wasn't sure how they could possibly get there.
First published in 1985, there is a delightfully retro feel to this 2013 ebook updated with the bare-chested hunk on the cover. It definitely hearkens back to the spitfire historical heroines and the love-hate dynamics made popular by Deveraux, Garwood, Lowell, Woodiwiss and others. I was a little surprised by the many graphic love scenes for a 1985 publication, especially since the purple prose was noticeably absent. This is my first book by Karen Robards.
Events take place in 1838 Australia, in the rural part of New South Wales. Sarah is the daughter of a large sheep station owner, who indentures convicts to work the property. One day, she is at the Melbourne waterfront with the family and interrupts the whipping of an Irish convict, probably saving his life. Turns out, he is bound to Sarah's father. Dominic Gallagher is excessively prideful, as is Sarah. They both also have vicious tempers and tend to speak before they think. Mix pride, hot-headedness and powerful attraction, and things go from simmer to boil pretty quickly between these two. Hanging in the background are subplots related to the toady foreman wanting to marry Sarah, a pretty but spiteful step-sister, and the mystery of Gallagher's past.
Spinster Sarah is plain but competent and kind. She runs the house and the books for the station. "Better an old maid than an unhappy wife, she had decided long ago." The new convict disturbs her, both with his insolence and his handsomeness. It has been a long time since I read a romance where the hero is so prideful that it gets him into trouble. As a personality characteristic of Dominic, it was carried to its farthest extent. He maintains his intractability for the majority of the book, and sometimes that wandered into uncharitable thoughts of the prideful Sarah. The battle of wills between these two was probably the best aspect of the book.
While the happily ever after in Dark Torment is a given, I was very unsure of the path. Particularly troublesome was the toady Percival and his position of power. However, the road to the HEA was also impacted by pride, shame, and impulsiveness on behalf of both Sarah and Dominic, plus their indiscretions were such that the possibility of discovery was high. I just kept thumbing through the book, ignoring sleep, because so many things could affect their future happiness and I wanted to watch these two move from baiting each other to publicly embracing each other in the worst way. I just wasn't sure how they could possibly get there.
September 12, 2024
Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (some are a bit longer)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥ish
Humor: A bit
Perspective: third person mostly from heroine, and some from the hero (and possibly a side character too?? If so, it’s brief)
More character focused or plot focused? plot
How did the speed of the story feel? medium to fast
When mains are first on page together: Pretty soon in, about pg 17 (towards the end of chapter 1)
Cliffhanger: no, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: yes
Format: read a paperback from the library
Why I chose this book: combined elements of wanting a book published in the year I was born for my library summer bingo challenge and our author of the month in our Vintage Romance FB group bring Karen Robards.
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
I believe this is a standalone.
Basic plot:
Sarah finds herself stepping between a convict and a beating that could take his life. She saves him and he’s brought back to their farm in the Outback.
Give this a try if you want:
- Victorian - 1838
- Australia setting
- Irish hero / Australian herione
- one horse
- kidnapped heroine
- forbidden love
- enemies to lovers
- heroine nurses hero back to health
- moonlight dance lessons
- size difference – hero tops the heroine by at least a foot
- revenge elements – the hero believes the heroine has wronged him and takes his due
- you have to be okay with quite a few content warnings including an owner/slave dynamic and strong dubious consent (more details in content warnings)
- definitely elements of a jerk hero, though he’s way more honorable than other old school heroes I have read
- medium steam – 3ish scenes (one scene fades a bit towards the end), plus plenty of kisses, partials and alluded to scenes
Ages:
- heroine is 22, I think hero is mid 30s, maybe around 35
First line:
“I don’t know what Pa can have been thinking about, telling us to meet him down here!”
My thoughts:
Overall I really enjoyed this one! It definitely had lots of things I loved – the beautiful Australian setting and a sweeping fast paced story that kept me interested. Dominic and Sarah are on page for much of the story and I loved that. There was some surprising moments of humor and sweetness for me from these two, and I enjoyed a great emotional pull from their story.
I struggled with a few minor things...some of the overbearing attitude of Dominic where he wouldn’t believe Sarah or even let her explain herself was trying, including some of the language used (I really hate when the hero calls the heroine a bitch….)
This novel has some very light scenes of body betrayed me (thinks like As she felt his body move, heard his lilting voice shouting at the recalcitrant sheep, and felt his thighs shifting beneath her own, Sarah realized to her horror that her body was responding blindly to his nearness. Having once learned the secret joys of being female, her body was reacting automatically to the overwhelming presence of the man who had schooled it. which usually really bothers me but since it was lighter here it was fine. (This is why I struggled with so many Johanna Lindsey books – let’s hate each other then fuck and go back to hating each other)
Few random reading stats for this author This won’t be totally accurate because I know I read some of hers in high school way before I started tracking.
# of books read: 3
Average rating: 4 stars
Favorite book: Tiger’s Eye
Endearments
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (some are a bit longer)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥ish
Humor: A bit
Perspective: third person mostly from heroine, and some from the hero (and possibly a side character too?? If so, it’s brief)
More character focused or plot focused? plot
How did the speed of the story feel? medium to fast
When mains are first on page together: Pretty soon in, about pg 17 (towards the end of chapter 1)
Cliffhanger: no, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: yes
Format: read a paperback from the library
Why I chose this book: combined elements of wanting a book published in the year I was born for my library summer bingo challenge and our author of the month in our Vintage Romance FB group bring Karen Robards.
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
I believe this is a standalone.
Basic plot:
Sarah finds herself stepping between a convict and a beating that could take his life. She saves him and he’s brought back to their farm in the Outback.
Give this a try if you want:
- Victorian - 1838
- Australia setting
- Irish hero / Australian herione
- one horse
- kidnapped heroine
- forbidden love
- enemies to lovers
- heroine nurses hero back to health
- moonlight dance lessons
- size difference – hero tops the heroine by at least a foot
- revenge elements – the hero believes the heroine has wronged him and takes his due
- you have to be okay with quite a few content warnings including an owner/slave dynamic and strong dubious consent (more details in content warnings)
- definitely elements of a jerk hero, though he’s way more honorable than other old school heroes I have read
- medium steam – 3ish scenes (one scene fades a bit towards the end), plus plenty of kisses, partials and alluded to scenes
Ages:
- heroine is 22, I think hero is mid 30s, maybe around 35
First line:
“I don’t know what Pa can have been thinking about, telling us to meet him down here!”
My thoughts:
Overall I really enjoyed this one! It definitely had lots of things I loved – the beautiful Australian setting and a sweeping fast paced story that kept me interested. Dominic and Sarah are on page for much of the story and I loved that. There was some surprising moments of humor and sweetness for me from these two, and I enjoyed a great emotional pull from their story.
I struggled with a few minor things...some of the overbearing attitude of Dominic where he wouldn’t believe Sarah or even let her explain herself was trying, including some of the language used (I really hate when the hero calls the heroine a bitch….)
This novel has some very light scenes of body betrayed me (thinks like As she felt his body move, heard his lilting voice shouting at the recalcitrant sheep, and felt his thighs shifting beneath her own, Sarah realized to her horror that her body was responding blindly to his nearness. Having once learned the secret joys of being female, her body was reacting automatically to the overwhelming presence of the man who had schooled it. which usually really bothers me but since it was lighter here it was fine. (This is why I struggled with so many Johanna Lindsey books – let’s hate each other then fuck and go back to hating each other)
Few random reading stats for this author This won’t be totally accurate because I know I read some of hers in high school way before I started tracking.
# of books read: 3
Average rating: 4 stars
Favorite book: Tiger’s Eye
Endearments
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs
June 6, 2012
This is what I'm talkin' about! A glorious example of what the old type of historical romances is all about! This one is set in Australia and our hero is sent there as a convict. Our heroine, Sarah, saves him from near death from a whipping, and the fireworks begin. I love Karen's heroines from her old romances. They're feisty and smart, which is unusual in these types of books. And Sarah is not heartstoppingly beautiful, she's an average woman with a strong sense of self who doesn't rely on her femininity to get her way. The story is beautiful and doesn't drag for a second. An excellent example of why I consider Karen Robards to be one of the top romance writers around.
July 19, 2023
3,5⭐️
Австралия, затворници, фермери и пустош. И малко трудна любов, идеално.
Австралия, затворници, фермери и пустош. И малко трудна любов, идеално.
March 30, 2015
4 and ½ Stars! Irish Hero Survives an Australian Sheep Station
Set in Australia in the mid 19th century, this is the story of Sarah Markham whose father is a sheep rancher, and Dominic Gallagher, a Irish convict who was transported to Australia for a crime he didn’t commit and was then “purchased” by Sarah’s father to serve out his 15-year sentence. Because he is a man who speaks up when events call for it, he is whipped and abused. Sarah intervenes to save his life.
The handsome Irish rogue knows Sarah is attracted to him, as most women are. But the odd thing to him is that he is attracted to her—a tall, skinny and plain woman. Robards, as usual, serves up delicious tension and some exciting action as life in New South Wales on the sheep station presents many dangers: convict uprisings, fires, rustlers and draught. Meanwhile, Sarah’s father is trying to get her to wed his ranch manager who has a cruel, evil side.
I loved the picture of the brooding sexy Irish hero—an alpha male to be sure—thrust into the dusty Australian frontier where life is even harder than what he left behind in Ireland where he longs to return. Both Sarah, who is biased against convicts, and Dominic, who has suffered wrong at the hands of his mother and now Sarah’s father, have trust issues they must overcome. And Dominic has connections to an English earl…
Robards’ portrayal of Australia is vivid (had me reaching for a glass of water!) and her characters very well drawn. A worthy read combining a favorite hero origin and a fascinating time in history.
Set in Australia in the mid 19th century, this is the story of Sarah Markham whose father is a sheep rancher, and Dominic Gallagher, a Irish convict who was transported to Australia for a crime he didn’t commit and was then “purchased” by Sarah’s father to serve out his 15-year sentence. Because he is a man who speaks up when events call for it, he is whipped and abused. Sarah intervenes to save his life.
The handsome Irish rogue knows Sarah is attracted to him, as most women are. But the odd thing to him is that he is attracted to her—a tall, skinny and plain woman. Robards, as usual, serves up delicious tension and some exciting action as life in New South Wales on the sheep station presents many dangers: convict uprisings, fires, rustlers and draught. Meanwhile, Sarah’s father is trying to get her to wed his ranch manager who has a cruel, evil side.
I loved the picture of the brooding sexy Irish hero—an alpha male to be sure—thrust into the dusty Australian frontier where life is even harder than what he left behind in Ireland where he longs to return. Both Sarah, who is biased against convicts, and Dominic, who has suffered wrong at the hands of his mother and now Sarah’s father, have trust issues they must overcome. And Dominic has connections to an English earl…
Robards’ portrayal of Australia is vivid (had me reaching for a glass of water!) and her characters very well drawn. A worthy read combining a favorite hero origin and a fascinating time in history.
February 19, 2021
I finished this book so quickly because I needed to purge it from my soul, that's how awful it is. The first half of the book was okay, except for the fact that the main characters fought constantly, and seemed to not like each other at all, even though there was supposed to be ~sexual tension~ or some garbage like that. This was supposed to be an "enemies to lovers" trope, but I believe that they were enemies until they suddenly weren't. The characters had such bad and unrealistic communication skills that made so many of the plot points very frustrating. Also, in general, the plot was absolutely terrible, it was ridiculously random and made unexpected choices that took away from the story. The "plot twist" about the main man was unbelievably obvious and postponed far too long in the story.
The thing that earned this wretched novel a 1 star is not any of the things I mentioned above, however. This book is unbelievably misogynistic, sexist and preaches coercion, almost to the point of rape in some scenes. I was absolutely appaled at the forced kisses, moments where the main woman regretted a sexual touch, and overall sense throughout that a woman should find her worth in her looks, and men's attention and praise. Just in case I haven't been clear enough, in a scene where the main woman is struggling with her body-image, the main man's advice is this, and I quote: "From now on, every morning when you get up, I want you to look in the mirror and say, 'Dominic says I'm beautiful.'"
The thing that earned this wretched novel a 1 star is not any of the things I mentioned above, however. This book is unbelievably misogynistic, sexist and preaches coercion, almost to the point of rape in some scenes. I was absolutely appaled at the forced kisses, moments where the main woman regretted a sexual touch, and overall sense throughout that a woman should find her worth in her looks, and men's attention and praise. Just in case I haven't been clear enough, in a scene where the main woman is struggling with her body-image, the main man's advice is this, and I quote: "From now on, every morning when you get up, I want you to look in the mirror and say, 'Dominic says I'm beautiful.'"
October 20, 2008
DARK TORMENT - VG
Robards, Karen - standalone
Sarah and Dominic are two very different people. Gentle, highborn Sarah is not prepared for the proud and arrogant Irish rebel to burst into her life. Sentenced to exile and bondage for acts perpetrated against the Crown, Dominic will do anything to convince this timid Australian lady that only he can fulfill her hopes and dreams.
An Australian sheep station owners' daughter and an Irish convict. If your looking for something HOT, this is it.
Robards, Karen - standalone
Sarah and Dominic are two very different people. Gentle, highborn Sarah is not prepared for the proud and arrogant Irish rebel to burst into her life. Sentenced to exile and bondage for acts perpetrated against the Crown, Dominic will do anything to convince this timid Australian lady that only he can fulfill her hopes and dreams.
An Australian sheep station owners' daughter and an Irish convict. If your looking for something HOT, this is it.
October 15, 2015
I didn't like either the hero or heroine. He was constantly smirking "nastily" or "mockingly" at her and making mean comments, while she claims to not view the convicts as inferior like everyone else does yet still treats him snobbily and expects his deference. The setting was really interesting and different from the usual, but the unpleasant characters ruined it. I also felt like the descriptions were redundant - how often do we need to be reminded about the hero's Irish accent and thick chest hair and the heroine's "mass of tawny hair"?
October 1, 2024
Loads of drama and tension and passion in this one. I should have felt the angst more though… and I was annoyed that the villains in the story didn’t really get a comeuppance. I suppose they do sort of, second hand, by having to witness the hero and heroine’s good fortune, but I wanted more.
Overall very entertaining.
Overall very entertaining.
October 10, 2016
Easy read. Enjoyable. Back in the old days setting.
September 2, 2025
3.5 stars, I enjoyed this but not as much as Morning Song.
March 13, 2024
this book was so bad i loved it 😊
March 9, 2023
Very well written, fun setting, abominable characters.
I couldn't stand Sarah or Gallagher, they were both petulant children and that's all there was to this book.
I couldn't stand Sarah or Gallagher, they were both petulant children and that's all there was to this book.
May 20, 2017
I just couldn't get into this one. The plot was completely lacking, Sarah was a complete cunt, and well I have beef with Dominic you just feel sorry for him the entire time.
The story...
He's getting whipped badly
She saves him
He says something rude
She hates him
She still hates him
She beats him (because he hasn't been beaten enough I guess)
He kisses her
She likes it
She hates him
She thinks about the kiss while hating him
He kisses her and she thrown herself at him
They have sex
She hates him even more
He kisses her again
She hates him
Someone finds out so he gets beaten and left for dead.
He thinks she was responsible so he kidnaps her when rustlers come to destroy their property
She still hates him
He kisses her and she throws herself at him
But he realizes he hates her too because she's responsible for his beating and almost death
Ugh.... I can go on and on, and even when they stop hating each other and even after everything worked out for the slave/convict and his mistress there still wasn't much going on. I wanted to feel the love at this point and I never felt the love.... well until the last 3 pages of the epilogue...
I love Karen Robards but this book has to be the worst I've read of hers yet. I hope it's the last.
The story...
He's getting whipped badly
She saves him
He says something rude
She hates him
She still hates him
She beats him (because he hasn't been beaten enough I guess)
He kisses her
She likes it
She hates him
She thinks about the kiss while hating him
He kisses her and she thrown herself at him
They have sex
She hates him even more
He kisses her again
She hates him
Someone finds out so he gets beaten and left for dead.
He thinks she was responsible so he kidnaps her when rustlers come to destroy their property
She still hates him
He kisses her and she throws herself at him
But he realizes he hates her too because she's responsible for his beating and almost death
Ugh.... I can go on and on, and even when they stop hating each other and even after everything worked out for the slave/convict and his mistress there still wasn't much going on. I wanted to feel the love at this point and I never felt the love.... well until the last 3 pages of the epilogue...
I love Karen Robards but this book has to be the worst I've read of hers yet. I hope it's the last.
September 27, 2019
4 to 4.5 stars, I really enjoyed the book. I love Karen Robards historicals! My fav’s are Island Flame and Forbidden Love, which I gave 5 stars too. Looking forward to reading more of hers as I haven’t gotten through all of them yet. Next on to Amanda Rose and Morning Song ...
January 30, 2021
This book only gets three stars because Sarah was kind of great. But it’s also very uncritical of the racist and generally exploitative systems that governed Australia in the 1830s. The story is predominantly about the use of convict labour, but aborigines are also present, though their role is entirely limited to being silent but devoted servants. So that’s not great. When she’s introduced, Sarah is described as having emancipist leaning, but Robards doesn’t really ever explore that aspect of her character, aside from having Sarah think that ‘maybe beating people with a whip until they die is bad and we shouldn’t do it’. Which was disappointing, both from a character perspective and a political one.
September 13, 2016
Didn't finish after page 73. I wanted to really like this book. I actually did like it, in fact because I liked the premise. A brave woman is willing to stand up to her father and a ship captain and his crew to save a convicts life! She seems so awesome and powerful. And also kind with a big heart. Buuuuut unfortunately she does not live up to her initial portrayal as the book goes along. I HATE more than almost anything in a book when the author makes the female character get angry at everything the male character says/does. While the guy gets to go around smirking and laughing and doing all the riling up of the girl. Grrrrrr!!! I want an awesome female character who doesn't react like you'd expect. I absolutely loved the first time Sarah speaks to the convict, Gallagher. She is trying to help him again (at this point I'm still liking Sarah), and Gallagher is way rude to her and says way rude things to her. I like this because it shows an imperfect male lead. One with flaws. One who isn't always chivalrous or charming or saying all the right things. It also shows his vulnerability. And I love a romance where the characters are so opposite or start off on a very bad foot because an unexpected romance is more real and meaningful to me. But then of course Sarah has to react how most people would react. She's pissed. And she's rude right back and yells at him. This would have been such a good opportunity for the author to make her be more intelligent and clever than most other people by having sarah recognize this mans rudeness and anger for what it really was: hurt, wounded pride, anguish, debt, and desperation. I wish sarah would have risen above the taunting and kept her cool. Helped him anyways. But no such luck. Just like in so many other novels I read. Why do authors always want to make the female leads bitchy and short tempered and uptight while the guy gets to be the cool, collected one doing all the mocking or teasing. I kept reading hoping that Sarah would only lash out like that just the once but nope. She keeps right on going with her attitude. She's rude to him and keeps trying to 'put him in his place' as the help who is below her and stuff. Where the heck is the girl from the beginning of the book who risked a lot to save someone in need because she looked at him as a human being instead of property? Seriously. What happened? I wouldn't think a girl of her strong will would be reduced to an insolent shrewd just because gallagher says some harsh things to her. Or tries to get a rise out of her. She seemed like she'd be so above that. And while anger has its place in a story as it helps add passion and emotion, I don't like where and when the author chose to place this anger. The typical angry female who can't take a little banter. I really liked the writing though. While a little long winded and a touch repetitive, it was also elegant and free from eye rolling moments and ridiculous cliches (other than the tired formula of angry female) I kept waiting for Sarah to show me signs that she wasn't actually such an stuffy snob with a stick wedged up her ass but there was no sign of that in the close future so I gave up. I totally agreed with Sarah's step sister when she makes a comment that Sarah would end up being a spinster the rest of her life because she's so proper all the time! It's totally true. She needs to loosed up big time. I love reading about fun female characters who are bold and have a lot of personality and emotions besides only anger or annoyance. Maybe she ends up being more awesome later in the book but I struggle to find the patience to keep going. I just want her to be cool and unique. One who doesn't balk at being touched or rant about every little Thing Gallagher does. She needs a chill pill.
Read
November 25, 2018Sarah Markham's mother had died and her father, Edward, remarried. Lydia was her stepmother and Liza her stepsister. Sarah was 22 and considered an old maid. Lydia constantly told her that and also the fact that she was skinny and plain. She took care of the Australian sheep station's books for her father.
Sarah Markham was at the docks with her sister to pick up some convicts that were to be workers on her father's Australian sheep ranch. Her step sister was getting sick in the extreme heat of the drought conditions and Sarah went on board a ship to find her father. Her father was watching a man being beaten and Sarah decided to interfere and stop the whipping. Sarah's father had decided to ask for the return of the money he paid for Dominic Gallagher and Sarah demanded that they money be given back to the ship owner. Dominic was taken to their ranch in very poor condition.
Sarah went to check on Dominic and he wasn't receptive to her help. The ranch overseer came upon them and she left. The overseer was under the assumption that Sarah would soon become his wife. Her father didn't seem to hear her when she made it clear to them both that she would rather never marry than become his Percival's wife.
Sarah ran into Gallagher when she went to the barn to get a horse to go for a ride. He was rude to her and she give the attitude right back to him. She treated him as she would treat someone beneath her and he didn't appreciate it. He followed her when she left the barn and she was attacked by a loose convict. She yelled and Gallagher came to her rescue. They argued and were soon joined by Sarah's father and Percival. She didn't let her father know that they were arguing but told her father about him saving her from becoming attacked. Her father ordered him to stay close to the house and watch over Sarah, her step sister and his wife. Sarah wasn't happy about the situation but didn't know what to do about it.
Dominic had dark hair and vivid blue eyes. Sarah was surprised at how attractive he was. Her mother and step sister both flirted with him. Sarah couldn't help but find herself attracted to him. It was a shock to her that Dominic would be interested in her.
Her step sister saw them together and told her father and Percival. Sarah didn't know that they had been seen talking together. Sarah found herself working on the preparations for Lily's birthday party and she went outside to get air during the party. Dominic found her outside and they made love that night. The next morning Dominic was gone. She felt he had run away.
A month after he left, the sheep ranch barn was set on fire. Sarah ran outside to get the horses out of the barn while another fire broke out where the sheep were kept. Sarah ended up being taken after she got her horse out of the barn. It was Gallagher and another 2 men who took her.
The men wanted to rape her but Dominic provided protection to her. He took advantage of the fact that he now had the upper hand and treated her like his slave. They argued often but she stayed close to him in order that she wouldn't be given to the other men. Dominic and the other men ended up fighting. Sarah got a gun and now she regained the advantage. She used the fact that she had a rifle and had him travel with her in the direction of her home.
She found herself exhausted and she needed sleep. She tied him up so that she could get some sleep. Dominic got himself loose and took the bullets from her gun. She didn't know he had done this until they reached the border of her father's land. He stopped her then and he told her that he desired her more than any woman he had ever known. He told her that he couldn't resist her and that she was beautiful to him. They ended up making love their in the dirt.
They stayed together for close to a week. They made love repeatedly and relaxed in the sun. They spent the time getting to know each other better. Sarah found out that Dominic was an earl in Ireland. His mother had an affair and ended up pregnant. When the man he thought was his father found out, he moved away from their home and left Dominic alone. He was raised by people who knew that he was the unwanted son of the earl of Rule. Dominic went to see his mother when he was 18 and she wasn't thrilled to see him. Dominic left after meeting with her. He stayed close by for a short time and when to sea and became a hesitant sailor. He returned to where his mother was living and visited her when he found out she was dying. They talked and he was with her when she died. They mended fences as best they could at the end of her life and gave him a ring. Her husband was angry and accused Dominic of stealing it and he was sentenced without going to a trial. He was sent to Australia for 15 years as punishment.
Dominic asked Sarah to marry him and go to Ireland with him and he grew angry when she hesitated. Australia was in drought conditions and a vicious storm was brewing. They had to get away from where they were camped out in the open. Dominic rode off on his own while Sarah headed back to her home. She got caught in a brush fire and a tree branch fell on her. Dominic heard her scream and found her. He carried her back to Lowella, her father's sheep ranch. She was asleep for most of the next five days. She then found out that Dominic had brought her home and that he was being kept in a barn after being shot in the shoulder. She had him brought into her house to be cared for.
Edward was angry and she told him that he had saved her life while they were in the wild. He agreed that he could stay in the house. She then told him that she had come to care for him. Edward didn't yet know just how close they were.
Sarah got up late the next day and found Liza flirting with Dominic. They argued and Liza told Sarah that she had seen them together and told Percival, the ranch overseer. Percival had Dominic beaten and left tied up in the barn to die. He had escaped and helped the men to take Sarah's father's sheep in order to preserve his own life. Sarah had tried to tell Dominic that she hadn't told anyone that they had been together. Dominic had told Sarah that he was angry with her for telling what they had done and the result was him being beaten and left to die. He apologized to Sarah when he found out what Liza had done.
Sarah and Dominic resumed making love at night when she snuck into his room. It wasn't too long before Sarah found out that she was pregnant. Percival came into the house one night and grabbed her and kissed her. He was determined that she would marry him. She told him that wouldn't happen and fought him. Dominic came to the room and hit Percival to get him to let go of Sarah. Sarah's father then came into the room. Percival tried to convince Edward that Dominic had attacked him but Sarah told him that Percival was the one in the wrong. She then told them all that she was pregnant and was marrying Dominic.
They were married the next week and Percival left the ranch. Sarah noticed that her father didn't look well but he denied anything was wrong. They had a visitor that afternoon too. A man had come looking for Dominic. Dominic's father on paper had died and Dominic was his heir. He had to return to Ireland to claim his father's possessions, including the place where Dominic had grown up. Dominic asked Sarah to go to Ireland with him but she refused. She wasn't ready to leave home just yet with a man she felt like she didn't know that well. Dominic hadn't talked to her for the week prior to their wedding. He was angry because he thought she was only marrying him because she was pregnant. He finally told her how upset he was after they married and she told him that she had agreed to marry him before she learned of the pregnancy.
Two months after Dominic had gone back to Ireland, Edward collapsed. Another two months later, he was dead. Sarah felt like maybe she knew that if she left Australia, she wouldn't see her father again. She was glad she was with him when he died. Lydia had gone back to telling Sarah how plain she was and told her that her husband wasn't coming back. Lydia told Sarah that her husband had abandoned her. Liza surprised Sarah by standing up to her mother and telling her to be nicer to Sarah.
Dominic did come back to get Sarah after four months. He told Sarah that he had come back to get her and his home was wherever she was.
A year later, Sarah and Dominic and had a son they named Edward. She was a countess and he was an earl. They were living in Ireland and they were happy together. Sarah had changed her hair style and purchased new clothing. Dominic had told Sarah that to her she was beautiful and he had told her enough times where she started to believe it. She started paying more attention to what she wore and how she looked and became the beautiful person Dominic told her she was.
Sarah Markham was at the docks with her sister to pick up some convicts that were to be workers on her father's Australian sheep ranch. Her step sister was getting sick in the extreme heat of the drought conditions and Sarah went on board a ship to find her father. Her father was watching a man being beaten and Sarah decided to interfere and stop the whipping. Sarah's father had decided to ask for the return of the money he paid for Dominic Gallagher and Sarah demanded that they money be given back to the ship owner. Dominic was taken to their ranch in very poor condition.
Sarah went to check on Dominic and he wasn't receptive to her help. The ranch overseer came upon them and she left. The overseer was under the assumption that Sarah would soon become his wife. Her father didn't seem to hear her when she made it clear to them both that she would rather never marry than become his Percival's wife.
Sarah ran into Gallagher when she went to the barn to get a horse to go for a ride. He was rude to her and she give the attitude right back to him. She treated him as she would treat someone beneath her and he didn't appreciate it. He followed her when she left the barn and she was attacked by a loose convict. She yelled and Gallagher came to her rescue. They argued and were soon joined by Sarah's father and Percival. She didn't let her father know that they were arguing but told her father about him saving her from becoming attacked. Her father ordered him to stay close to the house and watch over Sarah, her step sister and his wife. Sarah wasn't happy about the situation but didn't know what to do about it.
Dominic had dark hair and vivid blue eyes. Sarah was surprised at how attractive he was. Her mother and step sister both flirted with him. Sarah couldn't help but find herself attracted to him. It was a shock to her that Dominic would be interested in her.
Her step sister saw them together and told her father and Percival. Sarah didn't know that they had been seen talking together. Sarah found herself working on the preparations for Lily's birthday party and she went outside to get air during the party. Dominic found her outside and they made love that night. The next morning Dominic was gone. She felt he had run away.
A month after he left, the sheep ranch barn was set on fire. Sarah ran outside to get the horses out of the barn while another fire broke out where the sheep were kept. Sarah ended up being taken after she got her horse out of the barn. It was Gallagher and another 2 men who took her.
The men wanted to rape her but Dominic provided protection to her. He took advantage of the fact that he now had the upper hand and treated her like his slave. They argued often but she stayed close to him in order that she wouldn't be given to the other men. Dominic and the other men ended up fighting. Sarah got a gun and now she regained the advantage. She used the fact that she had a rifle and had him travel with her in the direction of her home.
She found herself exhausted and she needed sleep. She tied him up so that she could get some sleep. Dominic got himself loose and took the bullets from her gun. She didn't know he had done this until they reached the border of her father's land. He stopped her then and he told her that he desired her more than any woman he had ever known. He told her that he couldn't resist her and that she was beautiful to him. They ended up making love their in the dirt.
They stayed together for close to a week. They made love repeatedly and relaxed in the sun. They spent the time getting to know each other better. Sarah found out that Dominic was an earl in Ireland. His mother had an affair and ended up pregnant. When the man he thought was his father found out, he moved away from their home and left Dominic alone. He was raised by people who knew that he was the unwanted son of the earl of Rule. Dominic went to see his mother when he was 18 and she wasn't thrilled to see him. Dominic left after meeting with her. He stayed close by for a short time and when to sea and became a hesitant sailor. He returned to where his mother was living and visited her when he found out she was dying. They talked and he was with her when she died. They mended fences as best they could at the end of her life and gave him a ring. Her husband was angry and accused Dominic of stealing it and he was sentenced without going to a trial. He was sent to Australia for 15 years as punishment.
Dominic asked Sarah to marry him and go to Ireland with him and he grew angry when she hesitated. Australia was in drought conditions and a vicious storm was brewing. They had to get away from where they were camped out in the open. Dominic rode off on his own while Sarah headed back to her home. She got caught in a brush fire and a tree branch fell on her. Dominic heard her scream and found her. He carried her back to Lowella, her father's sheep ranch. She was asleep for most of the next five days. She then found out that Dominic had brought her home and that he was being kept in a barn after being shot in the shoulder. She had him brought into her house to be cared for.
Edward was angry and she told him that he had saved her life while they were in the wild. He agreed that he could stay in the house. She then told him that she had come to care for him. Edward didn't yet know just how close they were.
Sarah got up late the next day and found Liza flirting with Dominic. They argued and Liza told Sarah that she had seen them together and told Percival, the ranch overseer. Percival had Dominic beaten and left tied up in the barn to die. He had escaped and helped the men to take Sarah's father's sheep in order to preserve his own life. Sarah had tried to tell Dominic that she hadn't told anyone that they had been together. Dominic had told Sarah that he was angry with her for telling what they had done and the result was him being beaten and left to die. He apologized to Sarah when he found out what Liza had done.
Sarah and Dominic resumed making love at night when she snuck into his room. It wasn't too long before Sarah found out that she was pregnant. Percival came into the house one night and grabbed her and kissed her. He was determined that she would marry him. She told him that wouldn't happen and fought him. Dominic came to the room and hit Percival to get him to let go of Sarah. Sarah's father then came into the room. Percival tried to convince Edward that Dominic had attacked him but Sarah told him that Percival was the one in the wrong. She then told them all that she was pregnant and was marrying Dominic.
They were married the next week and Percival left the ranch. Sarah noticed that her father didn't look well but he denied anything was wrong. They had a visitor that afternoon too. A man had come looking for Dominic. Dominic's father on paper had died and Dominic was his heir. He had to return to Ireland to claim his father's possessions, including the place where Dominic had grown up. Dominic asked Sarah to go to Ireland with him but she refused. She wasn't ready to leave home just yet with a man she felt like she didn't know that well. Dominic hadn't talked to her for the week prior to their wedding. He was angry because he thought she was only marrying him because she was pregnant. He finally told her how upset he was after they married and she told him that she had agreed to marry him before she learned of the pregnancy.
Two months after Dominic had gone back to Ireland, Edward collapsed. Another two months later, he was dead. Sarah felt like maybe she knew that if she left Australia, she wouldn't see her father again. She was glad she was with him when he died. Lydia had gone back to telling Sarah how plain she was and told her that her husband wasn't coming back. Lydia told Sarah that her husband had abandoned her. Liza surprised Sarah by standing up to her mother and telling her to be nicer to Sarah.
Dominic did come back to get Sarah after four months. He told Sarah that he had come back to get her and his home was wherever she was.
A year later, Sarah and Dominic and had a son they named Edward. She was a countess and he was an earl. They were living in Ireland and they were happy together. Sarah had changed her hair style and purchased new clothing. Dominic had told Sarah that to her she was beautiful and he had told her enough times where she started to believe it. She started paying more attention to what she wore and how she looked and became the beautiful person Dominic told her she was.
May 31, 2016
I read this forever ago, but as I recall it, it is a historical romance that takes place in the Australian outback. The hero arrived on a ship full of criminals and is sold as an indentured servant to the heroine's family. He is put to work, particularly with horses I believe and he and the heroine clash. He doesn't like the fact that she saved his life and she doesn't like that he's so beneath her (nor that he tempts her). She has a tendency to treat her like shit and he has a tendency to act above his station...and to provoke her. One night after a party, they get a little carried away and he has sex with her (she was a virgin).
Then the tables are turned and suddenly, the hero joins up with a group of ruffians who kidnap the heroine. He then has some control over her and there are some power struggles. At some point, they do realize they love each other, but things aren't all easy going.
I remember liking that the heroine wasn't all submission, that she actually got some of her own licks in at the hero, particularly after he kidnapped her. This was a pretty enjoyable book to read, but I'm not sure if it's one I'd want to read again.
Then the tables are turned and suddenly, the hero joins up with a group of ruffians who kidnap the heroine. He then has some control over her and there are some power struggles. At some point, they do realize they love each other, but things aren't all easy going.
I remember liking that the heroine wasn't all submission, that she actually got some of her own licks in at the hero, particularly after he kidnapped her. This was a pretty enjoyable book to read, but I'm not sure if it's one I'd want to read again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2018
3.5 Stars.
My first Robards book and won’t be my last, but dang was it heavy at times and downright frustrating! Sarah was a relatable character in her insecurities but bitchy as hell.
It was nice to see her turn it around, but at the same time, I never really understood her fighting her feelings, giving in, fighting some more, then finally giving in and was suddenly ok with dom. It took too long for that to happen imo and then as I said, when she finally does accept him, there was no explanation of what made this time different.
That said, her attitude was believable for the time and the way she grew up. I didn’t really get why she would feel sooo bad about seeing him whipped and save him, only to turn around and treat him like trash but I digress.
All in all, this isn’t for someone who is looking for a light romance. It kept me turning the pages because I was curious how these two ever got their act together, but be prepared for a roller coaster of emotions. Namely frustration lol.
My first Robards book and won’t be my last, but dang was it heavy at times and downright frustrating! Sarah was a relatable character in her insecurities but bitchy as hell.
It was nice to see her turn it around, but at the same time, I never really understood her fighting her feelings, giving in, fighting some more, then finally giving in and was suddenly ok with dom. It took too long for that to happen imo and then as I said, when she finally does accept him, there was no explanation of what made this time different.
That said, her attitude was believable for the time and the way she grew up. I didn’t really get why she would feel sooo bad about seeing him whipped and save him, only to turn around and treat him like trash but I digress.
All in all, this isn’t for someone who is looking for a light romance. It kept me turning the pages because I was curious how these two ever got their act together, but be prepared for a roller coaster of emotions. Namely frustration lol.
March 30, 2014
Struggled between 3 and 4 stars. Karen Robards wrote "Amanda Rose," and these two books remind me of one another. They both have an attention-grabbing beginning. They both involve an innocent, but judged guilty convict. And, most unfortunately, both involve couples with communication and trust issues. In this one, I almost liked it one star more than the other, but the woman was as dense as the man if not more so, so it drove me crazy. It kept my attention. The passionate scenes were better start to finish than the other I mentioned. The adventures and change in control were kind of fun. I just don't like that cliché in romances... The one where the reader is begging both parties to be honest about their feelings etc. If I could, I'd give it a 3.5...
July 12, 2014
I usually do not enjoy romance out of traditional regency setting, so it was to my surprise that I couldn't put the book down. The clash and tension between two proud people was not as unreasonable as I first expected it to be. They've both got reasons for acting the way they do, and what I particularly liked is how Sarah transformed, and her very understandable internal conflict between being associated with a convict and undeniable passion made their relationship even more convincing. While the love-hate relationship is the hallmark of old school bodice ripper, it still worked quite efficiently. The only problem I had is that when you skip all the sex scenes, the book becomes awfully short.
September 16, 2016
This was mostly a good book. You feel like there is a larger story that you missed and that you are picking the tale up in the middle. They try to tell the part you missed as one character's back story he shares with the other character. But it would have been an interesting story to read itself.
And Sarah was at times annoying. For someone who objected to people beating a slave to death, she was constantly threatening to have him beaten again. There were a few personality characteristics that just didn't fit together for this character.
Other than that, the story itself was a fairly good story. I normally like Karen Robards but this isn't her tightest book.
And Sarah was at times annoying. For someone who objected to people beating a slave to death, she was constantly threatening to have him beaten again. There were a few personality characteristics that just didn't fit together for this character.
Other than that, the story itself was a fairly good story. I normally like Karen Robards but this isn't her tightest book.
July 30, 2009
Like all Karen Robards' books, Dark Torment is heavy on sexual tension. But this time it is to the expense of everything else... Indeed, such a romance novel could have very well taught us something about Australia in the 1830's, but all this is is one scene of lust after another. The rest of the story is pretty much non-existent and doesn't make much sense anyway. Personally, I like my steamy novels to have a little more to them than just plain sex.
October 21, 2013
Really good book. Slow at first, and then enthralling. Big, strong, handsome and sexy hero (Dominic). Heroine (Sarah) was in a Cinderella type role, but had a feisty and dominating personality albeit a kind heart. The sex scenes were steamy. I did fell Sarah was too difficult at times, and didn't like the way she treated Dominic at times. Although I loved the way Dominic could be so patient with her and so tender. Beautiful ending. A worthwhile read.
August 29, 2015
Sarah and Dominic are 2 different types of people, Sarah is a Lady and lives on a sheep farm with her father, step mother, step sister. She is very smart and with a girl next door looks to most she is seen as an old maid at 22 and plain looking. Dominic is a dark, handsome rebel from Island who is sent to Sarah ' s farm to serve out his sentence for a crime. Dominic trys to get Sarah to see how beautiful she is and that he can make all her dreams come true
December 7, 2014
I liked everything about this book. I stayed up so late to finish it but it was so completely worth it. It sounded amazing and I love when I'm expecting something awesome and it turned ot to be a let-down, but THIS WAS THE BOMB.
Sometimes I wanted to hit Dominic but there was real character development and he turned out to be a pretty cool guy if I do say so myself.
Sometimes I wanted to hit Dominic but there was real character development and he turned out to be a pretty cool guy if I do say so myself.
May 6, 2015
Your standard old fashioned historical romance bodice ripper complete with a "feisty" heroine, Sarah. I used to love these types of heroines but I couldn't stand her. But I loved the hero, Dominic, and the setting in Australia.
November 21, 2008
One of my favorite romance novels of all. Dont let the cheesy title fool you!!! its great!
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