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When Dayne Templeton dismounted from her horse in the misty bayou morning, she didn't know a stranger waited in the shadows. Flint Rutledge was her enemy, the prodigal son come home...
Dayne was the daughter of the man who'd vowed to ruin Flint's family. Now, with the headstrong beauty beneath him in his bed, revenge would be sweet, indeed...
As smoldering secrets threaten all they cherished most, Flint and Dayne are drawn together by a passion with the power to destroy ... even as it consumes them both in its sensual fury...
Dayne was the daughter of the man who'd vowed to ruin Flint's family. Now, with the headstrong beauty beneath him in his bed, revenge would be sweet, indeed...
As smoldering secrets threaten all they cherished most, Flint and Dayne are drawn together by a passion with the power to destroy ... even as it consumes them both in its sensual fury...
446 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
About the author
Thea Devine
59 books69 followersThea Devine is the author of eighteen historical romances and four novellas, including her contributions to the Brava anthologies Captivated, Fascinated, and, most recently, All Through the Night. Devine lives with her husband of 35 years in Ridgefield, Connecticut.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 6, 2017
This one was okay -- not TD's best work, though.
Oddly, there was both too little & too much going at the same time. Dayne & Flint had a good, gritty, Old Skool bodice-ripper relationship, but it never seemed to progress beyond the repetitive sex. Sure, you'll say, but it's erotica -- there's supposed to be a lot of sex, right? Perhaps. But NOT when the story is given ample non-sex time & fails to use it...& NOT when the closure of Dayne/Flint's plot is brought about by an army of Other Characters (some intro'd 60%-75% into the novel) instead of their own agency. Whut?? All the stuff about her brother Peter & Nyreen & Flint's random f'ing sister Lydia (who was never even mentioned until 3/4ths through) felt way out in left field; it ruined an already slow pace & diverted climactic page time from Flint & Dayne resolving their own tangled family problems.
Not nearly as good as Desire Me Only or The Darkest Heart. But as far as porny romantica with an angry alpha hero & nipple fetishes, not terrible.
Oddly, there was both too little & too much going at the same time. Dayne & Flint had a good, gritty, Old Skool bodice-ripper relationship, but it never seemed to progress beyond the repetitive sex. Sure, you'll say, but it's erotica -- there's supposed to be a lot of sex, right? Perhaps. But NOT when the story is given ample non-sex time & fails to use it...& NOT when the closure of Dayne/Flint's plot is brought about by an army of Other Characters (some intro'd 60%-75% into the novel) instead of their own agency. Whut?? All the stuff about her brother Peter & Nyreen & Flint's random f'ing sister Lydia (who was never even mentioned until 3/4ths through) felt way out in left field; it ruined an already slow pace & diverted climactic page time from Flint & Dayne resolving their own tangled family problems.
Not nearly as good as Desire Me Only or The Darkest Heart. But as far as porny romantica with an angry alpha hero & nipple fetishes, not terrible.
October 17, 2013
Hot! Hot! Hot!
The problem with this book is that Nyreen -- the scheming step mother -- is about 900 times sexier and more ambitious than pouty, sulky, not-too-bright Little Miss Dayne. When Nyreen is alone with poor, dumb, fat Harry, the bumbling father figure in the novel, and slowly sucking him dry in all kinds of sex scenes that are exhausting to read but incredibly exciting, well the book is a classic. On a very animal level! Harry's befuddled lust, and Nyreen's manipulation, are not inspiring, but they are vividly real. The human exploitation fits in very nicely with the slavery setting -- after all, people who own slaves are born manipulators and skilled at reducing others to the animal level.
But Dayne and Flint are not really that good a couple. Neither seems to feel that slavery is wrong, or right either. They sort of drift through the setting without being part of it. They don't love each other, and they don't even like each other. They trade insults and then start having sex. Unlike Nyreen, Dayne has no clear cut goals and no real determination to do things her way. She just drifts from one hot love scene to another.
If you love hot romance, this book is a classic and well worth reading. But if you demand strong characters and a heroine you can admire, you should probably just give it a miss.
The problem with this book is that Nyreen -- the scheming step mother -- is about 900 times sexier and more ambitious than pouty, sulky, not-too-bright Little Miss Dayne. When Nyreen is alone with poor, dumb, fat Harry, the bumbling father figure in the novel, and slowly sucking him dry in all kinds of sex scenes that are exhausting to read but incredibly exciting, well the book is a classic. On a very animal level! Harry's befuddled lust, and Nyreen's manipulation, are not inspiring, but they are vividly real. The human exploitation fits in very nicely with the slavery setting -- after all, people who own slaves are born manipulators and skilled at reducing others to the animal level.
But Dayne and Flint are not really that good a couple. Neither seems to feel that slavery is wrong, or right either. They sort of drift through the setting without being part of it. They don't love each other, and they don't even like each other. They trade insults and then start having sex. Unlike Nyreen, Dayne has no clear cut goals and no real determination to do things her way. She just drifts from one hot love scene to another.
If you love hot romance, this book is a classic and well worth reading. But if you demand strong characters and a heroine you can admire, you should probably just give it a miss.
August 15, 2011
Sex scenes awesome, characters okay but I really would have preferred more emotion between them. Set in Louisiana.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2011
You can't go wrong with Thea Devine.
June 23, 2012
The romance book that got my pervy husband to like romance books.
January 3, 2025
Read this years ago. My grandma rated it Especially Good. It was a bit spicy lol.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews