โจรสลัดเจ้าหัวใจ

Vallerands #2

by Lisa Kleypas, กัญชลิกา (Translator)

ซีเลีย วัลเลอรองด์ หวาดกลัวสุดชีวิต เมื่อจ้องมองเข้าสู่ดวงตาล้ำลึกดึงดูดใจ ของโจรสลัดเจ้าเสน่ห์ที่ซื้อหล่อนมา แต่ในไม่ช้าหล่อนก็รู้แน่ชัดว่าสิ่งที่ตกอยู่ในอันตรายไม่ใช่ชีวิตของหล่อน แต่เป็นความบริสุทธิ์ จอมโจรหยาบกระด้างทรงอำนาจปลุกเร้าความปราถนา ซึ่งเป็นสิ่งต้องห้ามให้ตื่นขึ้นมาในตัวซีเลีย แม้หล่อนรู้ว่าจะต้องต่อต้านเขา แต่หล่อนกลัวว่าตัวเองจะทำไม่ได้

ทว่าโจรสลัดรูปงามผู้นั้น คือชายที่ติดอยู่ในหลุมพรางแห่งการหลอกลวงร้ายแรง ความลับอันน่าตื่นตระหนกที่เขาเก็บงำไว้ อาจทำให้เขาต้องปฏิเสธความรักของเชลยสาวแสนสวย ที่กุมหัวใจมุทะลุของเขาเอาไว้ในกำมือ...

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Pirates, Fiction, Regency

376 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1992

About the author

LISA KLEYPAS is the RITA award-winning author of 21 novels. Her books are published in fourteen languages and are bestsellers all over the world. She lives in Washington State with her husband and two children.

Reviews

[Azet · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Every touch of yours was heaven and hell. I thought about putting my hands around your neck and throttling the life out of you—anything to stop you from becoming necessary to me. But it’s too late now. You’re mine, and you have only yourself to blame. You made yourself mine.”

-Justin Vallerand

***
A thrilling Bodice-ripper that delivers swashbuckling Adventures with the Anti-heroic Vallerand male i fell in love with in the former book.In this sequel "Only With Your Love" he has become a lethal and feared pirate known as Captain Griffin who lives the uncaring life of a pagan.He finds his soulmate in his deceased twin-brothers wife,Celia Vallerand and takes her innocence without knowing she will change his life forever.

Celia Vallerand hated Justin with reason and i couldn`t fault her for that.I mean the "forced seduction" scene while she was seriously grieving made me despise Justin for his selfish behaviour,GOD i could never have forgiven him for it!
Celia and Justin were so opposite,she was a calm rational being while he was anything but civilised.But together,they simply fit into one great puzzle of yearning,desire and a powerful love neither wanted nor expected.I think Justin Vallerand must be the most pagan hero Kleypas have ever written (except for Sebastian in "Devil in Winter").There was a great restless energy about him,he gave out the haunting feelings of a vicious animal.He could kill,steal and even take the innocence of his dead brothers wife without any shame or guilt.He took what he wanted and it didn`t matter what it did to anyone else.But it was his love for Celia that grounded him and made him more human.Since his heart was so much distanced from humanity,he is a man who can only love once and for always.Everyone living in the Vallerand Plantation could sense a certain attachment between Justin and Celia.I love that even when there was a instant sorching attraction between the two,they gradually started to love each other.It was agonizing,sweet,hilarious and so so incredibly beautiful to watch.Despite their faults i came to love Celia and Justin and the epiluge made me sigh with happiness.I am so glad for their deserved happy ever after!

[Dangermousie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, Lisa Kleypas, why?

I am fast coming to the conclusion that I don't care for most of Kleypas' stuff outside of her Hathaways and Wallflowers series. How one woman can write two series so good and the rest so not, is a mystery. But even with that, Only With Your Love is a whole other kettle of fish.

I mean, what woman wouldn't want a true love who is a rapist pirate twin of your kinda-dead husband?

UGH!!! I don't read too many older romances, so I have been pretty lucky at avoiding hero-on-heroine rape that romances used to be so fond of 20+ years ago (only a rare book nowadays ventures into that territory, like Anna Campbell's Claiming the Courtesan, but at least in that one, the hero is portrayed as deeply disturbed, damaged and not right in the head and the heroine doesn't get over it lickety-split. It still makes me want to stab something, but at least the author realizes that sort of behavior is not the norm! And the fact that I even have to give points for that is insane).

But yes. Hero (I use the term loosely), is a pirate who purchases the new widow of his sibling and promptly proceeds to rape her. As one does. I'd think even if the idea of rape wouldn't give him pause, loyalty to his apparently nice dead sibling would, but no - that would not be macho! It's OK though, you guys - heroine totally has a good time once she gets over her resistance and the whole 'clawing his face off doesn't work' thing.

UGHHHHHHH!

ETA: I do not get the allure of pirates. Two words: crotch lice.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was disappointed! I think my expectations were too high after reading the first book. This was definitely a BR, which I usually relish. The story had an interesting plot, a rakish, alpha male H, and well developed secondary characters. I was happy to have the H family from the first book returned.

Cecilia was the problem. She was such a flat , one dimensional character. The only time she shows emotion is to yell at Justin. He saves Cecilia from a fate worse than death and started a pirate war. Does she appreciate all he's done? No! She continues to spew venom at him. Don't get me wrong , Justin deserved some of her spite.

Now , the book does improve as it continues. The last 100pgs are very entertaining. I just didn't really see the MC together.

[Geo Just Reading My Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Translation widget on The blog!
Frumoasa carte, cu o acțiune ce nu stagnează. Te tine cu sufletul la gura!
Recenzia mea completa o găsiți aici:
https://justreadingmybooks.wordpress....

[Ali L · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a book that utilizes forty different tropes and leaves no melodramatic stone unturned, this could have been a hundred pages shorter and still manage to be absolutely unhinged. Justin needs to be in jail for his crimes.

[emtee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true, old school 90s bodice ripper, written by one of my most favorite authors. What a treat!

I was looking through Lisa Kleypas’ backlist when I spotted this book and was hooked by the premise. Published in 1992, it was early Kleypas and I knew I had to give it a go.

✔️ A swashbuckling alpha badass pirate
✔️ A shy, virginal young woman with a fiery temper
✔️ Violence, murder, sword fights and pirate mayhem
✔️ Forced proximity and noncon/dubcon
✔️ Old New Orleans, Creoles, the bayou and life on a plantation
✔️ Oh, the aaaangst
✔️ A tangled web of secrets and twisty twists
✔️ ❤️🍆❤️

He knew he couldn’t have survived the fever and wounds without her. For the first time in his life he had relied on someone else, on the fine-tempered strength of a woman half his size. She had fought for him; she had reached into his very dreams to pull him away from death. A link had been forged between them, and now she was part of him, haunting his thoughts, tormenting him. He tried to imagine never seeing her again, living out his life half a world away from her. Silently he damned her and himself.

He crushed her mouth in a greedy kiss. Treacherous excitement engulfed her, and she shuddered violently. This was what she wanted, what she needed, his strength wrapped around her, his mouth on hers.

Intense, passionate and So. Much. Fun!

[KatieV · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this, but didn't think it had the magic of Kleypas' later works. Many of her Victorian era England novels are favorite re-reads of mine, but I doubt I'll revisit this.

Very early in her career Kleypas dabbled in the bodice ripper genre so prevalent at that time. I don't know if she was still developing her writing skills or if that genre just isn't her forte. Possibly both.

I love some of the older bodice rippers, but this was just a 'like' for me. If you want a bodice ripper with Creoles in pre-Civil war Louisiana, I suggest Jennifer Blake.

Why wasn't this a 'love'?

I'm not quite sure I can express it or put my finger on it. There were things that didn't seem well developed or explainable.

The story was interesting if not original. The hero is the identical twin of the heroine's husband. If you've read the first book you figure this out immediately, so I don't think I'm spoiling anything for anyone.

The heroine was traveling from her native France to Louisiana with her husband Philippe when their ship was attacked by pirates just as they are about to consummate the marriage. They had waited because Philippe had allowed her time to adjust since they didn't know one another very well and mostly via correspondence. Also I believe it was another way to let the reader know that their relationship wasn't what it should have been. Basically, they loved each other but more out of common background, respect, and position - not with a great passion.

The heroine is abducted and her husband thought to be dead and tossed overboard.

The hero, Justin, had left his family years before and became a pirate and is on the pirate island where the captive heroine is taken. When he realizes who she is, he rescues her from the evil pirate who'd taken her to give to his disgusting, sadistic brother.

She doesn't realize who Justin is since Philippe had never spoken of him, which I found odd. Yes Justin, was the black sheep but they were married and Justin was Philippe's twin (however, I suspect it was a sloppy plot device to hide Justin's identity for longer and to illustrate that Celia and Philippe weren't as close as they should be).

Another reason behind the secret identity was Justin had a long shaggy beard and hair which hid his features from Celia, although she did find the eyes familiar. He doesn't tell her who he is until they arrive at his father's plantation (Max Vallerand from Only in Your Arms later re-written/re-titled to be When Strangers Marry).

Trigger warning for sexual assault: On the way from the pirate island to the plantation Justin forces himself on Celia (she is also nearly raped at several points by villains). In romance land this is what I'd term a 'forced seduction' since her "traitorous body" gives in. Since it's such a common trope for those times, I always make the distinction (in fiction, not real life).

This didn't make sense to me because the guy had just lost his twin who he dearly loved even though he was at odds with the family for his choice of career. He saved Celia because of his love for Philippe and because he felt it was a debt of honor... and then he rapes her? I know he had a distrust of women due to his mother, but his recently dead brother's wife?!?! I'm someone who isn't offended by the forced seduction trope, but this didn't sit right with me. And I think later attempts to explain his behavior weren't up to par with what I expect from Kleypas. It seemed she did more telling than showing in a lot of cases.

I also could never bring myself to like Celia. I didn't hate her, but I didn't like her. I was lukewarm over both of them, actually. Kleypas can create such SEXY alpha heroes, but again he didn't measure up to what I expect from Kleypas.

Perhaps it's just me, but I took issue with how Celia spoke about Justin to Max and Lysette. Maybe it's cultural, but in my world you NEVER bad mouth someone's child/close family to other family members ESPECIALLY if those family members are giving you a home/sheltering you and don't otherwise know you. I'm not a Creole, but I am a southerner and that's just NOT done.

I had no problem with her hating Justin, I just thought it was insensitive to trash him to his father's face when it was obvious Max loved his child even if he didn't love his lifestyle AND he believed he'd just lost Justin's twin. It was especially jarring since she never told Max or Lysette why she hated him. All they knew was that he saved her and brought her to them after Philippe was killed. I wouldn't have sung his praises or pretended to like him, but I wouldn't have taken every opportunity to crow about what an animal he is to his father (who had never met her before, yet took her in without question and gave her a home). They didn't seem to take offense, but it seemed really insensitive/rude to me.

I didn't expect her to be grateful to Justin, but I did expect her to be grateful to the Vallerands for sheltering her and curb her tongue as a show of that gratitude/respect especially in light of their grief over Philippe. As far as Justin goes, I had no problem with her taking shots at him personally, he deserved it.

Also, there were inconsistencies that irked me a bit between book 1 and 2. I read the re-write of the first book and in that version, for example, Lysette was pretty but not a breathtaking beauty. However it was mentioned over and over again how unbelievably beautiful Lysette was in this book. Perhaps that continuity glitch was due to changes made in the rewrite?

Anyway, I may have liked this more if it hadn't been a Kleypas' novel. I just know what she's capable of and this didn't measure up. However, the plot kept me interested and I kept reading.

[daemyra, the realm's delight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can Lisa Kleypas write like this again? 😭😭😭

Only With Your Love is a helluva of a ride. Celia has just married Philippe Vallerand and they are on the ship sailing back to Louisiana to meet his family when their ship is attacked by pirates led by Legares. Celia sees her husband stabbed and thrown overboard and is taken to a pirate island where she is seen by Justin Vallerand, Philippe's twin brother, a privateer turned pirate. Celia is unaware of Justin's true identity but Justin knows her identity.

Things get HOT between Celia and Justin. Nearly half of their conversations end in an embrace. And the declarations of love. Whew. Troublemaker Justin's love for Celia hits you in the heart. The Vallerands duology is spicy and I appreciate it. Thank you Kleypas.

What's also interesting about Only With Your Love is that Kleypas plays again with the changeling husband trope that she did in Stranger in My Arms but Only With Your Love does this with twin brothers. It kicks the spice level up a notch and I kinda wish we played with the love triangle taboo a bit more!

I quite liked the direction of the story where Justin had to pretend to be Philippe and also the twist reveal near the end. Highly recommend this read!

[Tenley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have now experienced the dreaded 'Goodreads deleted my review for a book' moment.

Instead of doing any of the million and one things I need to do today, I decided to edit my TBR shelf on Goodreads. 🤷‍♀️

More than halfway through my TBR list, I came across Only With Your Love. I found myself confused when I saw the Vallerands name because I knew I read both books before. Clicking around, I realized the dates are still recorded but the review was gone. GONE. 😡 I KNOW I wrote a review because I was a big fan of this book.

I have no idea what my review said and that irritates the mess out of me.

Ugh, I remember this was early Kleypas and there were many parts of this book that I loved and several that I did not. Some of the great scenes are filling my mind as I type and I need to do a reread of this book for those scenes alone.

Anyway, I read this and I recommend and I hope this review doesn't get deleted.

[Dagmar · Rating 5 out of 5]

JUSTIN VALLERAND is your new BBF!

Sensual, exciting, interesting...lots of angst and mystery. Supersexy. Bold. Loved it. One of Lisa Kleypas' best💗
...Try to find yourself an original copy because the cover is a beaut!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥😍😍📚📚

[Beatriz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me sorprendió gratamente. Pensé que iba a encontrarme con otra historia romántica victoriana entretenida, pero por el contrario, es una historia bastante “seria” por así decirlo. No por eso pierde en lo que a romance y aventuras se trata, con un ritmo muy ágil y muy buena narrativa, sobre todo al describir el perfil de la mujer de la época.

Muy recomendable y claramente voy a seguir incursionando en otros libros de la autora.

[JennyG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hero was wonderful despite some non-pc behaviour. Although the heroine's reactions seemed realistic, considering everything she was going through, I never quite warmed up to her. She kept grating on my nerves. Nonetheless it was a memorable read and I enjoyed it.

P.S. Hero never cheats. There is an attempt of rape by another man and forced seduction by the hero.

[🐝 Shaz 🐝 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story was good, keeping my interest all through the book .
Celia is taken by nasty pirates. Then rescued by another pirate, who has secret’s.

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. It was okay, but just too old-school for me. Early on, there was a dubious consent scene that made me very uncomfortable. Ugh. Those old-style super alphas that force themselves on a reluctant woman who suddenly finds they are so sexy they decide they like it after all. Not my cup of tea, and so out of step in 2021. I also dislike the use of the word 'loins' in a romantic or sexy context. *cringe* Sounds like a lamb chop.

But I persisted with the read. There were some interesting and unexpected plot twists, and although it was a pirate trope, I liked that most of the book was spent on land and not on board a pirate ship. The plot twists kept me reading. I wanted to see it through and see how our lovers could be together in the end.

Apart from Justin's overbearing behaviour early on, he did kind of 'mellow out' and became more reasonable/likeable as time went on. For me, Celia was a bit flat as a character, though, right through the book. I know she was young and inexperienced at the beginning, but I prefer a female lead with more agency and self-knowledge.

The climactic scenes of the book kind of turned into a slightly ridiculous big-screen 1950s Errol Flynn pirate movie type of scenario, on the baddie's secret pirate island headquarters. The hero tortured in chains by the baddie, but then freed by one of his pirate mates, a betrayal by another trusted pirate mate, the heroine threatened with a fate worse than death, (why was she even there? the fool!) some desperate hand-to-hand fighting, explosions and a secret tunnel cave-in, some brave friendly prostitutes helping the heroine, a big rescue scene with the arrival of the navy etc etc

This book to me did not feel like it was written by Lisa Kleypas. Way different to her writing style now. I haven't enjoyed most of the early books by her that I've read, and I only read this one because a) I wanted a pirate read for my RATA challenge and b) I already had a cheap secondhand copy I'd picked up in a thrift shop.

Overall, for me it was a disappointing read and I don't intend to bother with the other Vallerand book.

I read this book for the 2021 Romance Across the Ages challenge: February - Pirate theme.

[kris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Celia and Philippe Vallerand, newlyweds, are on their way to America from France when PIRATES. Philippe gets stabbed and tossed overboard. Celia gets captured, threatened with rape, and then """rescued""" by—please hold your gasps till the end—Justin Vallerand, the lost Philippe's TWIN BROTHER. He threatens Celia with rape, then straight up forces himself on her, drops her at his family's estate, takes off, and several months later is himself dropped off shot, stabbed, etc.

I should pause here to note that, allegedly, Justin is the hero of this particular book. I KNOW.

So Celia nurses him back to health and they "fall in love". EXCEPT, OH SNAP, PHILIPPE ISN'T DEAD!! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO NOW?

1. Yep. Rape.

2. Swapping out twin brothers, like you do.

3. I honestly don't know how to explain why I finished this thing because it is so bad.

4. The hero literally rapes the heroine and the heroine convinces herself that she's to blame because she "liked it". WHYYYYYY.

[Shellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for Regan Walker’s Historical Romance Review blog, Sept. is Georgian and Regency month. Although this book takes place in the Regency period the location isn’t England. I chose it because it was Regency and had sea captain/pirates. I was going to the coast and for fun I like to have a book to read that deals with the sea. I see there are mixed reviews on this book, but I thought it was good. It starts off with lots of action, has a good plot, and more action around the last 100 pages. I enjoyed it. Really liked the hero, the heroine wasn’t one of Kleypas best, but her personality did seem to fit with her background and I was fine with her. I read the first book some time ago and don’t remember much about Lysette and Max. This story takes place years later and it was nice to see they were in the book quite a bit.

[Océano de libros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Celia viaja rumbo a Nueva Orleans pero en el trayecto su barco es asaltado por piratas y es rescatada por un misterioso hombre cuyas intenciones no son muy honestas.

Segunda novela de la serie Vallerands que tiene como protagonistas a Celia Vallerand y a Griffin. Tengo que decir que me ha sorprendido mucho esta historia y más viniendo de Lisa Kleypas que se aleja de los salones londinenses para traernos una novela de aventuras con un personaje bastante complejo y del que no esperaba tan sorprendente cambio. Y es que supongo que intuís de quién se trata y en la anterior novela parecía que tenía una perspectiva más favorable pasando lo que pasó, pero la autora ha querido incidir en “traumas” del pasado y mostrarlo demasiado “oscuro” para mi gusto. No me ha hecho mucha gracia ese cambio.

En la novela tenemos un suceso que visto con ojos actuales no nos haría gracia, he visto por varios sitios que es denominado como “seducción forzada”, creo que no hace falta explicar más a lo que me refiero. Este suceso me ha molestado, sé que en muchas novelas “viejunas” hay escenas de este tipo con las que me encontraré pero… le ha costado mucho a la autora redimirse a lo largo del relato para que me ganara un poco. Aquí ha perdido puntos la novela y el personaje de Griffin. No me ha parecido justo lo que hizo con él, cuando me conquistó en el primer libro. Sinceramente, no me esperaba ese giro y cambio que no viene a cuento. Si en el anterior libro fue uno de los que más me gustó y de los que creía que tenía superados sus obstáculos, la autora se marca un cambio tan inexplicable… y si llegáis al final, la decisión que tiene duele y no entiendo ese alejamiento,

Celia ha sido un personaje con el que no he congeniado al principio y creía que no se merecía ser pareja de Justin (me parecía hipócrita... continúa en: https://oceanodelibros.blogspot.com/2...

[MisskTarsis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ella me najó un poco el hype que le tenía al libro. Este libro es de los gemelos, especialmente Justin, el niño malo, la oveja negra, que cumple las habladurías volviéndose un pirata. Por cosas de la vida, la recién casada novia de su hermano (al que suponen muerto) cae en sus manos. Pero él no es un hombre dulce, no es nada como Phillipe, él es problemas y sensualidad.

[Impyfiche · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.

Could not get past the classism, racism, sexism, misogyny, fat-hate, and rape.

But that's okay; even if I had gotten past all those things, I didn't actually like either the hero or the heroine. And I had a feeling we were heading to a plantation with happy slaves, so yeah.
DNF.

[Chi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lisa Kleypas wrote a pirate story?? I was really surprised when I started reading it and couldn't stop until I finished it.

In full disclosure, there is a very uncomfortable-to-read scene: the rape scene near the start. Nowadays, Lisa Kleypas doesn't write about non-consensual sex, but it was definitely a sign of the times (~2000) that the book had such a bodice-ripping scene. It was discomforting to realise that such a scene was in the book, especially moreso given that LK kept mentioning how much pleasure the heroine was experiencing, despite enduring what is essentially rape.

Also, it was a little discomforting to read about Celia's affections and near-constant comparisons between the hero and the other man. It was a bit squicky to read about.

Look, despite those concerns, it was still rather amusing to read something that's so wildly different from the books published nowadays, particularly the obvious pairing between the fair-skinned, dainty, fragile heroine and the big, brooding, dangerous and handsome hero. And because this was written by the incomparable Lisa Kleypas (especially in my eyes...), it was a rollicking, well-written book that I really enjoyed.

[Gilgamesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely not one Kleypas' light novels where the biggest conflicts the characters face is a choice between a husband who is a peer or a business tycoon. There is angst, grief, betrayal, hope, love, obsession and emotions from full spectrum of human experiences. I love it when people demand depth of character but have no idea what to do with it even if it hit them in the face. Justin is a tortured soul much of which is explained in the first book. He is terified of his mercurial personality and so ends up choosing a wrong path that leaves him little choice. To understand Justin and his ways or celia and her ways you really have to place yourself in their shoes and understand the conflicting emotions. Nothing irates me like hypocrisy so my initial reaction was to hate Phillippe and his double standards but if I truly put myself in his shoes I even understood him. The driver of the two brothers behavior was their common childhood experience and they both choose their own unique ways to cope with their fears. If you try to understand their behavior in the light of their mother's betrayal it makes sense. This is a book with characters of many dimensions with no true heroes or villains. Often times we are used to characters being defined in black and white shades in these novels but I think this is one of the most superior piece of Kleypas's writing where she truly delves into different levels of human emotion.

[Hbeebti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I cant believe I'm saying this but... this was just ok. In fact Griffin (Justin) was a crappy hero. He bothered me in so many ways. 300 pages in and I still didn't like him. Honestly the relationship between Justin and Celia felt force. I really wanted Celia to run from Justin than to him. He just loved to put her down and hurt her. Loved getting a rise out of her no matter how it made her feel later. Don't get my started on their first time together. It started out like he was forcing until she just gave in. and yeah she later enjoyed it but I didn't like how that went down at all. When she says no and she is fighting you that should have been a clue, then when she stopped fighting and laid limp and just turned her head away that should have been a clue. But oh no, not this pirate he will just keep working her over until she surrenders. I didn't think it was sexy at all. Maybe I'm taking that wrong but it bothered me and along with all of his other glowing qualities I couldn't stand him.

Only plus side was that the story was interesting and the side characters were great. Justin's family was great. Celia was ok. I'm kinda thinking that thank goodness I didn't bother with the first book.

[Nonieღserenity2bliss · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess even the most awesome writer cannot write a winner every single time :P I have never read a Lisa Kleypas book that I don't love or like...until this one.

I always believe that LK's strength is her ability to write wonderful, larger-than-life characters; heroes that you immediately fall in love with, and heroines that you wish you want to be.

Unfortunately, in Only With Your Love, not only do I not want to become the heroine, I don't even want to be anywhere near her! She's such a tiresome, ungrateful nuisance and every words that came out of her mouth were toxic. I wish the pirates would just leave her on the boat and blow it to pieces with her on it.

The storyline was alright; there were parts that I love but mostly I don't. I find it dragging a little bit that I kept thinking, when is this story going to end? When I start having such thought, it was not a good sign.

[Kady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is an oldie but a goodie. Enjoyed it very much! I've almost read all of the Lisa Kleypas historicals now. It's been hard to find other HR books I adore as much as these.

[Tenley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisa Kleypas stole all major soap opera storylines of the 1980s and inserted them into this early 1800s historical romance novel. Seriously, the only missing element was one of the MCs having amnesia. Other than that, this book is packed full of OTT drama....


AND I DEVOURED IT!!!!!


I refrained from 5 stars because I got put off by a few things but I can't go into details without spoiling things, but if you love soap opera level drama in your romance novels, then you will likely enjoy this one.

P.S. I see fellow reviewers labeling this book as a 'BR'..... I'm not educated on this. What qualifies a book as a bodice ripper? Any info is appreciated!

[BRNTerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States in 1817 ten years after the previous book in the series. The heroine, Celia, is twenty-four. She has blond hair and brown eyes. The hero is Justin Vallerand and he has dark hair and blue eyes and is twenty-five. His identical twin brother, Philippe, is her husband.

Sadly, I only liked the first quarter of the book, which was the first 100 pages. So many things, so much action, took place during the beginning that I felt like there was nothing left for the rest of the story. Once Celia moved in with her in-laws the book became very boring to me.

Her in-laws were the hero and heroine of the previous book, Only In Your Arms, which was rewritten as When Strangers Marry. Starting when Celia moved in with them, they were featured throughout the entire novel. I don't think that was fair to the readers. They had their own book and ended up with another one. I didn't care for it.

Justin wasn't as alpha as I'd have expected him to be, judging by his personality in the previous book. There was a 'forced seduction' scene with Celia early on but other than that I don't think his personality was all that bad. I'd have preferred for him to have been more aggressive in nature. Celia was a bit fiesty and was a good match for him. Truth be told, I didn't care too much for either of them.

I thought there was too much hanging out at the plantation, since that's where most of the novel took place. I found it mostly boring and some things, like when someone was impersonating another, to be a bit silly and unoriginal. I consider this to be a very mild bodice ripper.

Other books by Lisa Kleypas can be found at fictiondb.com

♣ I grade this novel a C/3 stars.

[Laura V. · Rating 1 out of 5]

[Contiene muchos spoilers]

Kleypas metió la pata hasta el fondo, al convertir a Justin en un villano con todo lo que ello trae consigo.
Siento un gran cariño hacia su personaje, por haberlo visto casi madurar en el libro anterior a éste.
Pero hizo todo mal. No solo no le bastó hacer de Justin un verdadero bastardo sino que hizo de Phillipe, un chico con grandes posibilidades, tan bueno, tan amable, tan gentil, en un cretino y para colmo matarlo cuando el chico claramente se ganó su propio libro.

Celia la zorra prota, es todo lo que he destestado en siglos. No solo se la pasa fastidiando, sino que se da el lujo de elegir entre hermanos. Y sus POV son de lo peor. Pasa cada segundo, comparando la mínima acción de Justin con su amado muerto. Pero no en plan de Oh, extraño a mi prometido, sino en plan de No es lo suficientemente bueno para mí, pero lo quiero solo para mí.
No me gustan esas mujeres, que les dan la oportunidad de meter la pata y ellas se tiran de cabeza. Un poco de sentido común no le hubiera venido mal a esta chica. Claramente lo necesita.

Este libro está mal. No me gustó para nada. Justin merecía un futuro mejor. Está bien que haya querido alejarse de sus raíces, pero otra cosa, muy diferente, es odiarlos a todos. ¿Tanto le costaba compadecerse por el fallecimiento de su gemelo? ¿Qué tal una mínima cortesía con su viuda?

No me gustó. Es una trama aprovechada con los personajes incorrectos. Phillipe merecía su propia historia, no ser la cabeza de turco de esta. Justin merecía demostrar que podía ser quien quisiera ser, sin necesidad de ser ese desastre andante que todo el mundo predecía que sería, no cumplir sus expectativas y superarlas.

Mal, Kleypas, Mal.

[Sophia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, my love affair with this author might be over.

Whilst I didn't have any issues with the story I had major issues with the scene in which consent was questionable.

Why do women write these scenes?

I don't find it enjoyable reading about a male who forces himself on a female until she suddenly find the whole experience pleasurable. Spare me.

[Gloria—aka—Tiger · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded to four because I HAD TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED NEXT!

Too much melodrama: wild swings between hate and passion, “You’re an animal, a barbarian!,” clothes ripped off, face slapping, lurid villains. Two main characters I found no reason to like: Justin was abrasive, Celia was stupid. That’s not entirely fair, but they kept reminding me of those qualities over and over again.

Since this was published in 1992, the era of bodice-ripping historical romance, this was pretty standard for the time and so was the almost-but-not-quite-forced sex in a swamp that got Justin and Celia’s relationship off to a rocky start.

But the plot and the exciting action are what make this worth reading. Pirates! Kidnapping and murder and rescue and revenge plots and family angst and bounties on heads! All that kept me glued to the page, to the next page, to the next page. That, and the growing bond between Justin and Celia. I may not have liked them very much, but I liked their growing attachment and the longing that startled them both.

If the melodrama had been dialed back about 25%, if the author had given me a more believable reason for Justin’s estrangement from his family and his choice to be a pirate instead of a, say, frontiersman, and Celia hadn’t been such a prig, this would have been a 5-star read. As is, it’s still worth the time it takes to read it.

[Bekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75*

This book will be difficult to review without spoilers because I don’t think I can adequately express myself if I don’t talk about some of the spoiler plot stuff, so I will put all the spoiler stuff at the bottom for those of you who would like to avoid it.

This is the second and final book about the mighty Creole family the Vallerands. This is Justin Vallerand’s story. He is one of Max Vallerand’s (from When Strangers Marry) twin sons. Here we find him a notorious, dangerous and well known pirate called “Griffin” purchasing a frightened and recently widowed and kidnapped Celia Vallerand.

Ok, so immediately I was upset with Philippe’s murder. I really liked him and felt the nice guy got the shaft! However, this story really isn’t about him. It’s about Justin and Celia. This being LK’s first and possibly only(?) foray into swashbuckling piracy, it wasn’t too bad. I think she created Justin’s character quite well. I believed he was dangerous, he was sufficiently dangerous, and he certainly had a devil-may-care lifestyle. I loved that he fell so completely for Celia. I loved that he took what he wanted when he wanted it and didn’t apologize for it. Celia, as a heroine really couldn’t be faulted. She was believable in all of her emotions of hatred, passion and then love with Justin. It was a nice progression.

For the LK hero scale I would give Justin a 5/10. He was exciting, he was a yummy alpha and he was fiercely possessive (particularly in the end) and I couldn’t find any faults with him at all. He just didn’t zing off the pages for me. He made a wonderful transformation as a hero though. He started out not caring for anyone but himself really and in the end he was willing to give it all up for Celia. They had a strong chemistry between the two of them. I feel like LK really did a good job showing their chemistry in AND out of bed. You know when you’re drawn to that certain someone and you are always hyper aware of when they enter a room and exactly where they are in a crowded room? She wrote that rather well in this book.

The steam factor was really good here as well. It didn’t make me shiver in yumminess, but the love scenes were very hot and intense and well written and well spaced throughout the book. I will put steam at a 6/10. There were a lot of “I must have you NOW” moments as well as loving and tender moments and even a few yummy cute giggly loving moments. It was sufficiently steamy, but not as steamy as I know Ms. Kleypas can go!

The romance/SIGH factor was sort of low for me, with the exception of the end with the climactic action that must exist in a pirate novel. Justin and Celia both made romantic gesture to one another, but they didn’t leave me sighing and clutching the book to my chest. That said, I did feel the fierce intensity that they felt for one another and the driving NEED that they had for each other. That kept the pages turning quite nicely! I will give it a 5.5/10 on the sigh factor…and that might be pushing it a little bit.

In the end, I did prefer this book over When Strangers Marry , I seem to recall Lysette getting on my nerves a bit in that book and she really got on my nerves in this book. There were times when she was questioning what seemed like EVERYTHING Celia did that I really just wanted to smack her. I get that she’s the matriarch of the family and is eager to take care of everyone, but for the love of God, Celia and her were quite close in age! On a side note, you might like to know that Max and Lysette in this book have two little girls and one little boy. I felt this book flowed a little faster for me. It was easier to return to, and there was really no ‘filler’ to slog through. I just wished for a bit more sparkle in this book. Ultimately a slightly above average read for any other author and an average read for a Kleypas book.

Now, for some very brief spoilers:

I was really upset about murdering Philippe off. I felt that it was sort of the easy way out of things and it just threw me for a loop for awhile. Along with the whole boinking my brother’s wife bit. Thankfully, and conveniently she was a virgin.

On the flip side of that, by the time she threw the curveball with Philippe actually being alive, I was so invested in Justin and Celia’s relationship and rooting for their success that I shamefully wanted his imprisonment to be a sham! How bad is that??? I figured they’d get things sorted out but man it would be sticky. I think Kleypas managed to handle it well and as delicately and quickly as possible.

Finally, I was sort of upset, though understanding with Celia’s responses with Philippe and Briony’s relationship. I think its natural and understanding that she would be a smidgen jealous and affronted that Philippe’s complete love and devotion was not hers, but hello??? You’re sleeping with his brother and you love him without doubt above all others right??! It was very short and natural, and was rightfully included in the story, but the whole time I was thinkin…girlfriend are you for real??