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Tender Savage
Lara Clavel has come to the Caribbean prepared to risk her life to free Ricardo Lazaro, legendary poet-warrior and rebel leader. Once in his cramped gaol cell, she feels a savage desire to be possessed by him, and Ricardo is trapped by circumstance into taking all that this golden angel offers.
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1990
22 people are currently reading
459 people want to read
About the author
Iris Johansen
228 books7,367 followersIris Johansen is a New York Times bestselling author. She began her writing after her children left home for college. She first achieved success in the early 1980s writing category romances. In 1991, Johansen began writing suspense historical romance novels, starting with the publication of The Wind Dancer. In 1996 Johansen switched genres, turning to crime fiction, with which she has had great success.
She lives in Georgia and is married. Her son, Roy Johansen, is an Edgar Award-winning screenwriter and novelist. Her daughter, Tamara, serves as her research assistant.
IRIS JOHANSEN is The New York Times bestselling author of Night and Day, Hide Away, Shadow Play, Your Next Breath, The Perfect Witness, Live to See Tomorrow, Silencing Eve, Hunting Eve, Taking Eve, Sleep No More, What Doesn't Kill You, Bonnie, Quinn, Eve, Chasing The Night, Eight Days to Live, Blood Game, Deadlock, Dark Summer, Pandora's Daughter, Quicksand, Killer Dreams, On The Run, and more. And with her son, Roy Johansen, she has coauthored Night Watch, The Naked Eye, Sight Unseen, Close Your Eyes, Shadow Zone, Storm Cycle, and Silent Thunder.
http://www.irisjohansen.com
She lives in Georgia and is married. Her son, Roy Johansen, is an Edgar Award-winning screenwriter and novelist. Her daughter, Tamara, serves as her research assistant.
IRIS JOHANSEN is The New York Times bestselling author of Night and Day, Hide Away, Shadow Play, Your Next Breath, The Perfect Witness, Live to See Tomorrow, Silencing Eve, Hunting Eve, Taking Eve, Sleep No More, What Doesn't Kill You, Bonnie, Quinn, Eve, Chasing The Night, Eight Days to Live, Blood Game, Deadlock, Dark Summer, Pandora's Daughter, Quicksand, Killer Dreams, On The Run, and more. And with her son, Roy Johansen, she has coauthored Night Watch, The Naked Eye, Sight Unseen, Close Your Eyes, Shadow Zone, Storm Cycle, and Silent Thunder.
http://www.irisjohansen.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
August 29, 2016
3.75 stars!
February 13, 2016
Hero is a rebel leader and heroine a fierce young girl who embroils herself in a plot to help the legendary leader escape. She ends up in his jail cell as bait and while in prison they fall in love.
Ricardo is a very noble man but he can't resist sweet Lara. He takes her virginity and despite her reservations she falls for him. Ricardo wants her forever but when he realizes that Lara may lose her life because of him he sends her away without realizing that Lara is pregnant.
Cheesy, romantic, passionate love story. I adored the noble, vulnerable hero and the sweet but fierce heroine. Their chemistry was sizzling!
Ricardo is a very noble man but he can't resist sweet Lara. He takes her virginity and despite her reservations she falls for him. Ricardo wants her forever but when he realizes that Lara may lose her life because of him he sends her away without realizing that Lara is pregnant.
Cheesy, romantic, passionate love story. I adored the noble, vulnerable hero and the sweet but fierce heroine. Their chemistry was sizzling!
December 23, 2017
I see hero's point.
But that doesn't excuse his behaviour.
He pushes heroine away not once but THREE times.
He practically has the heroine kidnapped because she wouldn't tell him about his kid just to tell her he wants nothing to do with the kid, except for providing child support.
He could've done that without any contact.
At least then heroine would have been able to move on, she was already moving on and healing.
He evaded her life just to tell her he doesn't care.
He was nothing but a selfish man and whatever he felt for her wasn't love! It was his selfish way of protecting himself yet making sure heroine doesn't forget him at the same time!
There would've been no HEA if h wasn't so shameless and would keep begging for after being rejected the third time!
But that doesn't excuse his behaviour.
He pushes heroine away not once but THREE times.
He practically has the heroine kidnapped because she wouldn't tell him about his kid just to tell her he wants nothing to do with the kid, except for providing child support.
He could've done that without any contact.
At least then heroine would have been able to move on, she was already moving on and healing.
He evaded her life just to tell her he doesn't care.
He was nothing but a selfish man and whatever he felt for her wasn't love! It was his selfish way of protecting himself yet making sure heroine doesn't forget him at the same time!
There would've been no HEA if h wasn't so shameless and would keep begging for after being rejected the third time!
March 3, 2015
Re-read 2015
Despite the cheesy 80’s title and cover, this is one of my go-to’s. (The original unrevised version). It’s an old category romance, but I’ve re-read it hundreds of times and it never disappoints. (Often a snippet of it will come to mind and I find myself helpless to go to it yet again. I’m serious, it has that much a pull on me.)
Ricardo Lazaro , poet and rebel leader is looking to bring democracy to his tiny country. But the regime in charge have caught and imprisoned him to stop it. Enter Lara Clavel.
At first, Lara could care less about Lazaro’s political leanings- but her brother, the only family left to her, is willing to follow him into hell. To prevent her injured and convalescing brother from doing just that, she embroils herself in a plot to help the legendary leader escape.
Though determined to stay aloof, she too cannot resist the pull of this magnetic man. And right there, in the midst of captivity with him- she finds herself surrendering to the passion blooming between them. Little did she know she will one day find herself willing to follow him anywhere too- or die trying to keep him safe.
Much of the this book happens in an imprisonment setting- how the author manages to make us feel safe and threatened for the characters both at the same time surprises me, yet she does it. You'll also be surprised with where she leads you by the end.
Some of H/h's moments together are incredibly erotic despite how tame it is relatively- even now- and the romance is top notch. If I could get some new romance readers to try this, I will have felt as though I’ve accomplished something for romancelandia! ;)
Despite the cheesy 80’s title and cover, this is one of my go-to’s. (The original unrevised version). It’s an old category romance, but I’ve re-read it hundreds of times and it never disappoints. (Often a snippet of it will come to mind and I find myself helpless to go to it yet again. I’m serious, it has that much a pull on me.)
Ricardo Lazaro , poet and rebel leader is looking to bring democracy to his tiny country. But the regime in charge have caught and imprisoned him to stop it. Enter Lara Clavel.
At first, Lara could care less about Lazaro’s political leanings- but her brother, the only family left to her, is willing to follow him into hell. To prevent her injured and convalescing brother from doing just that, she embroils herself in a plot to help the legendary leader escape.
Though determined to stay aloof, she too cannot resist the pull of this magnetic man. And right there, in the midst of captivity with him- she finds herself surrendering to the passion blooming between them. Little did she know she will one day find herself willing to follow him anywhere too- or die trying to keep him safe.
Much of the this book happens in an imprisonment setting- how the author manages to make us feel safe and threatened for the characters both at the same time surprises me, yet she does it. You'll also be surprised with where she leads you by the end.
Some of H/h's moments together are incredibly erotic despite how tame it is relatively- even now- and the romance is top notch. If I could get some new romance readers to try this, I will have felt as though I’ve accomplished something for romancelandia! ;)
November 9, 2017
"Tender Savage" is the story of Lara and Ricardo.
Ricardo is the leader in revolutionary Santa Pierre, and is captured by rebels. Our heroine Lara volunteers to rescue him in order to save her twin brother Brett's life, who is loyal to Ricardo.
Soon passions arise due to forced captivity, and love strikes.
Honestly, I did not like the hero. Martyr or not, he seemed too gullible and thick headed. One minute he's madly in love, next he is scared for the heroine and sends her away. Ending unsatisfactory, no groveling, but average love making scenes.
Warning: Trigger
MEH
Safe?
2/5
Ricardo is the leader in revolutionary Santa Pierre, and is captured by rebels. Our heroine Lara volunteers to rescue him in order to save her twin brother Brett's life, who is loyal to Ricardo.
Soon passions arise due to forced captivity, and love strikes.
Honestly, I did not like the hero. Martyr or not, he seemed too gullible and thick headed. One minute he's madly in love, next he is scared for the heroine and sends her away. Ending unsatisfactory, no groveling, but average love making scenes.
Warning: Trigger
MEH
Safe?
2/5
February 9, 2016
Great story and very existing. She goes to save her brothers saviour and ends up falling for him. He is a freedom fighter with a very hard shell and he pushes her away several times. However they do have sex and he wants her to leave to be safe cause he loves her and wants her to live. He was not a sweet guy but he had a heart of a poet. So smooth.
November 12, 2022
I imagine I would have liked this book much better at the time it was published. So glad the age of the Too Stupid to Live Heroine is over. Really. If Lara wanted her brother not to be part of the revolution, there were better ways than subjecting herself to degradation and whipping in an odious prison. Ricardo is an interesting character but the two of them have a problem being honest with feelings at the same time.
September 17, 2018
overall, I enjoyed reading the story of Lara and Ricardo but there are some points which i dislike. some scenes were expected. i didn't like some of Ricardo's behavior as he is considered as an hero and a leader. there is a combination between love and sex here and i guess there is misunderstanding as they are not one thing
contemporary-but-not-hq
August 2, 2020Lara Clavel has come to the Caribbean prepared to risk her life to free Ricardo Lazaro, legendary poet-warrior and rebel leader. Once in his cramped gaol cell, she feels a savage desire to be possessed by him, and Ricardo is trapped by circumstance into taking all that this golden angel offers.
April 3, 2024
Nancy
Very interesting story. I’m at the one character in another book and he was very strong and intriguing. The storyline was intense and in-depth of a true heroes. Both characters were very strong people. Thanks for the good book and the happy ending.
Very interesting story. I’m at the one character in another book and he was very strong and intriguing. The storyline was intense and in-depth of a true heroes. Both characters were very strong people. Thanks for the good book and the happy ending.
June 12, 2017
It was ok
February 5, 2021
Not my type of reading. I wanted to read something by this author.
March 13, 2021
This was a good book. I actually like this series.
April 26, 2022
Really great book, loved the romance, though I do prefer her more recent books, I had a fun time reading about these two!
February 22, 2023
I really think i should give it two or even one star, but I finished it in one day, so that has to mean something...
July 25, 2015
Lara wants to keep her twin brother Brett safe. So she arranges to go to the island of St. Pierre, where he has been serving in their revolutionary army, to sacrifice herself to rescue the very charistmatic leader, Ricardo Lazaro, so that she can extract a promise from him to keep her brother out of the war. She ends up in his jail cell as bait. There's a lot of danger and close circumstances sort of bring on some very intimate feelings for the both of them. He falls in love with her, but a revolutionary leader can have no weaknesses, and for Ricardo, love for Lara is his greatest weakness.
This is pretty good for the oldie it is. The story was a quick read with plenty of angst. Ricardo is very likeable for most of the book. Although, for a man who proclaims that every person has a right to their own choices, he certainly makes a lot of effort to take Lara's away from her. Lara is very stubborn and self-sufficient, but not always very honest with herself. I liked that Lara was a go-getter and refused to back down and that she wasn't all irritating and petulant in her stubbornness. All in all I did like this story.
That being said, I didn't 100% buy the premise for Lara being in St. Pierre in the first place. It seems she risked so much danger and her very life for a very uncertain outcome. I just couldn't buy it. I also had a lot of trouble believing the HEA could actually be happy.
This is pretty good for the oldie it is. The story was a quick read with plenty of angst. Ricardo is very likeable for most of the book. Although, for a man who proclaims that every person has a right to their own choices, he certainly makes a lot of effort to take Lara's away from her. Lara is very stubborn and self-sufficient, but not always very honest with herself. I liked that Lara was a go-getter and refused to back down and that she wasn't all irritating and petulant in her stubbornness. All in all I did like this story.
That being said, I didn't 100% buy the premise for Lara being in St. Pierre in the first place. It seems she risked so much danger and her very life for a very uncertain outcome. I just couldn't buy it. I also had a lot of trouble believing the HEA could actually be happy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2012
Tender Romance From the Caribbean.
I have learned to love Iris Johansen's romances (I've listed some of my favorites at the bottom of this review). One thing many have in common is wonderfully complex plots, multifaceted characters and exotic locales. I loved this story, and like the related story, ONE TOUCH OF TOPAZ, it takes place in the Caribbean. While I recommend it, I cannot give it 5 stars because like TOPAZ, it's lacking some meat in my mind. That is, I wanted more story, more plot, more of what Iris Johansen delivers so well. 277 pages just wasn't enough.
Lara Clavel, an American, is out to make sure her twin brother Brett isn’t wounded again, or worse, in the fight for freedom of St. Pierre, a Caribbean island country (fictional). So she agrees to risk her life to save the life of the poet warrior who is the rebel leader, Ricardo Lazaro. She agrees to purposefully get caught and taken to the dreadful Abbey prison where he is being held and the guards use her to try and get to him, forcing Lazaro to take her virginity. In the process, Ricardo falls in love with her. Once free, he does not intend to let her go.
The only negative here is that there could have been so much more story. I didn’t want it to end so soon. So, if you're looking for a quick read that won't disappoint, get this one--and the related one, ONE TOUCH OF TOPAZ. But if you like her very complex stories, you might want to consider her other historical novels that I believe justify 5 stars:
I have learned to love Iris Johansen's romances (I've listed some of my favorites at the bottom of this review). One thing many have in common is wonderfully complex plots, multifaceted characters and exotic locales. I loved this story, and like the related story, ONE TOUCH OF TOPAZ, it takes place in the Caribbean. While I recommend it, I cannot give it 5 stars because like TOPAZ, it's lacking some meat in my mind. That is, I wanted more story, more plot, more of what Iris Johansen delivers so well. 277 pages just wasn't enough.
Lara Clavel, an American, is out to make sure her twin brother Brett isn’t wounded again, or worse, in the fight for freedom of St. Pierre, a Caribbean island country (fictional). So she agrees to risk her life to save the life of the poet warrior who is the rebel leader, Ricardo Lazaro. She agrees to purposefully get caught and taken to the dreadful Abbey prison where he is being held and the guards use her to try and get to him, forcing Lazaro to take her virginity. In the process, Ricardo falls in love with her. Once free, he does not intend to let her go.
The only negative here is that there could have been so much more story. I didn’t want it to end so soon. So, if you're looking for a quick read that won't disappoint, get this one--and the related one, ONE TOUCH OF TOPAZ. But if you like her very complex stories, you might want to consider her other historical novels that I believe justify 5 stars:
October 15, 2012
Tender Savage (Loveswept, September 1990) was a better book than One Touch of Topaz. I liked it a lot more than the first book. Laura was a great character. She was a strong person and had a lot of guts. Any woman who is willing to go through what she did just to rescue a man from imprisonment would have to be,. I thought the characters were a bit more realistic and more mature.
Laura and Ricardo have a great chemistry together. I was so frustrated with Ricardo and his insistence that he couldn't be president of his country and have happiness as well. I was rooting for their HEA.
Laura and Ricardo have a great chemistry together. I was so frustrated with Ricardo and his insistence that he couldn't be president of his country and have happiness as well. I was rooting for their HEA.
June 24, 2016
Totally predictable. A quick read for in between the serious stuff. This story was so unbelievable but that's what so fun about books like this. You know it's implausible but you keep reading anyway. Naive American girl goes to foreign country to offer her help in rescuing the leader of the local revolution so he can tell her already injured twin brother he is no longer needed to help fight for the cause. How stupid. I'm sorry , you'll just have to read this story for yourself. It is so predictable and cheesy but I did small a little at the end.
September 12, 2016
What a great story. Some not so nice accomodations but at least the outcome was better at the end then the start. Lara being stubborn went to help Ricardo so that her twin brother Brett would not be part of the revolution. She bit off way more than she could chew. Some tender moments, ha ha moments and some ahhhh- wipe away the tear moments. Would love if there was a followup to their story.
June 30, 2011
Another light romance novel, but this one actually had a bit more depth to it. Captured more of the emotion, and you really saw the connection between the hero and heroine (Ricardo & Lara). I recommend this book for the romance novel lover
November 10, 2011
I waited 8 months to get this from the library. Since I've read all the other romance novels that the library had by Iris Johansen, I wanted to read this one. There's still a long line of readers who have put a hold on this. Ms. Johansen does not disappoint.
October 30, 2014
So not like her others books that Iris Johansen writes. This was a very quick easy to read (about 1.5 hours). Kept you entertained while reading it. Amde you want to know what was going to happen.
Read
September 21, 2010I read in high school and with this original cover they have been revised and are still great!
December 23, 2010
LS #420
March 22, 2011
excellent read.
February 10, 2011
What's not to like about a cheesy, unrealistic, love story between a freedom fighting rebel and as all-American 21 year old?
February 23, 2012
I listened to it on a playaway (electronic recording from the library). I didn't realize it was going to be so "steamy" but yet so tender.
May 18, 2012
A clear 5 star in every sense. Great story, typical Johansen plot. You don't know till the end of the book what will happen. Very well written. 5 stars don't do it justice.
August 30, 2013
Not great but an easy read..too much like a harlequin romance
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews